Takeaways from Tuesday’s drug-price hearing. PBMs faced scrutiny over opaque business practices, secret rebates with pharma and mega-mergers in the third Senate Finance Committee drug-price hearing. (MM&M)
Johnson & Johnson focused baby-powder advertising on minority and overweight women. For years, J&J targeted women who are black, overweight or from the South with ad campaigns for baby powder as sales dropped. Many of the lawsuits that claim its baby powder caused cancer were filed by women who fall into those categories. (Reuters)
New York City will require people to get the measles vaccine amid an outbreak or face fines. City health officials condemned the “misinformation” spread by opponents of vaccines, which may have contributed to the outbreak among the Orthodox Jewish community. There have been 285 cases reported since October. (STAT)
Klick has unveiled its latest pitch tool, all 40 pounds of it. The agency’s new brand playbook case includes a HD video screen and 230-page book to promote the agency’s offerings. See MM&M unbox it. (MM&M)
The FDA has approved a postmenopausal osteoporosis drug. The injection, developed by Amgen and UCB, is branded as Evenity. It helps to increase the formation of new bone in postmenopausal women. Analysts say pickup may be slow due to its cardiovascular risks. (Reuters)
