Juul’s former SVP of finance has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the company. Siddharth Breja, who was fired in March, said the dismissal was retaliation against him for stating that the company knowingly sold at least 1 million contaminated pods. Juul did not recall the products. (CNBC)
Johnson & Johnson has risked casting doubt on one of its own experts by arguing no asbestos was found in additional testing on its baby powder. J&J’s expert, Andreas Saldivar, works for a private Maryland lab, under contract with the Food and Drug Administration. Saldivar testified on behalf of the drugmaker in May 2018, claiming there was no evidence of asbestos. (Reuters)
Purdue Pharma’s CEO was paid $9 million the year before the company filed for bankruptcy. The board chairman earned almost $4 million, with five board members being paid a combined $3.7 million. The company revealed the financial details to the public as part of the bankruptcy filing process. (Associated Press)
Novartis is halting trials for Zolgensma, its gene therapy treatment for spinal muscular atrophy. The FDA ordered a hold on the trials after Novartis subsidiary AveXis expressed concerns over the treatment’s safety due to issues found in an animal study. (STAT)
Amgen is eliminating the jobs of 180 R&D employees. The drugmaker’s reorganization took place after a failed late-stage Alzherimer’s drug in partnership with Novartis. Initial data from the study found that patients’ cognitive function worsened when taking the drug. (Endpoints)
