Eli Lilly’s experimental diabetes treatment, Ultra Rapid Lispro, was as effective as the company’s best-selling diabetes medication Humalog in two late-stage trials. The mealtime insulin formulation was found to significantly improve post-meal blood glucose levels in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. (Reuters)
PCSK9 inhibitors are still not available for many patients who could benefit from them. In response to the cholesterol-reducing drugs’ exorbitant price tags, insurers are continuing to reject patients who are ideal candidates for the treatment. (New York Times)
A fraudster spent years posing as another doctor to review medical records in insurance coverage disputes before he was arrested in April. Spyros Panos collected nearly $1 million from the scheme. While it’s unclear whether patients’ claims were denied as a result, at least 2,500 people were affected. (Bloomberg)
The practice of so-called “white coat marketing,” in which drug companies deploy nursing staffs to educate patients and refill prescriptions, is the subject of a number of whistleblower lawsuits. Critics argue it conflates caregiving with marketing and provides physicians with kickbacks in the form of free nursing assistance. (STAT)
Momenta Pharmaceuticals has laid off 110 workers, or about half of its staff, including much of its executive team. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech company also said it is shifting resources from biosimilars to developing novel drug candidates. In 2016, Momenta was dealt a significant blow when an independent panel found its experimental treatment for pancreatic cancer did not work well enough to warrant further research. (Boston Globe)
