1. The FDA suspended three clinical studies testing Merck’s Keytruda in combination with other drugs for the treatment of multiple myeloma after reports of patient deaths. (Reuters)
2. Drug and device companies paid physicians and teaching hospitals more than $8 billion in 2016, according to the latest Open Payments data. (Modern Healthcare)
3. Bristol-Myers Squibb said its immuno-oncology drug Opdivo outperformed Yervoy in reducing the recurrence of advanced melanoma in a Phase-III study. This may mean billions more dollars in sales for Opdivo. (Endpoints News)
4. Novartis signed a contract with Oxford BioMedica to supply the drugmaker with the material it needs to be make CTL019, its experimental treatment for leukemia. (Reuters)
5. In the past year, at least 25 states, cities, and counties in the U.S. have filed lawsuits against drugmakers and distributors for their alleged roles in causing the opioid epidemic. (WaPo)
