Five things for pharma marketers to know: Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Diabetes patients sue drugmakers over price increases; the FTC opens Mylan investigation; Fitbit to ramp up marketing

Jaimy Lee

January 31, 2017

3:15 pm

Photo credit: J H Lancy/Haymarket Medical

1. Several diabetes patients filed a lawsuit alleging that Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi fraudulently raised the prices of insulin. The suit claims that those increases violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and state consumer protection laws. (WaPo)

2. The Federal Trade Commision is investigating whether Mylan illegally blocked competitors to the EpiPen, its allergy auto-injector. The company denied the accusation. (Bloomberg)

3. Fitbit is ramping up marketing efforts as it reported “softer-than-expected demand.” The company is also laying off 6% of its workforce. (Ad Age)

4. Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, was part of a select group of people able to buy stock in Innate Immunotherapeutics at a discount, the company said. The Senate is expected to vote on Price’s nomination today. (WSJ)

5. Kaleo Pharma is facing criticism for the price hike of a device that injects naloxone, an opioid antidote. The company increased its price from $690 in 2014 to $4,500. (WaPo)