The measles outbreak boosted sales of Merck’s MMR vaccine by 58% in Q2 compared to last year. The vaccine, which prevents measles, mumps and rubella, posted $675 million in sales in Q2. Merck is the only supplier of measles vaccines in the U.S. (CNBC)
Aetna has reversed course and decided to cover a $2 million rare-disease treatment for more children. The insurer previously only covered Zolgensma, a treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, in children under nine months old. It expanded that group to children up to two years old, covering the entire age group for which Zolgensma is indicated. (Business Insider)
The Trump administration is working on a plan to import drugs from Canada, said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. Details of the proposal are unknown. Canadian health officials recently said they don’t support U.S. plans to import their medicines, fearing it would cause shortages and drive up costs. (CNBC)
Expensive cancer drugs from Novartis and Gilead aren’t taking off because patients are opting for experimental treatments instead. Sales of Novartis’ Kymriah and Gilead’s Yescarta are not meeting expectations because a larger number of cancer patients are participating in clinical trials, according to new data. (Reuters)
Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks said that capping drug prices would not lower healthcare costs. Many Democrats have proposed capping either the launch price of a drug or annual price increases. Ricks echoed the industry’s talking point that price caps would lead to “less innovation.” (CNBC) Here’s a preview of what the top Democrats in recent polls are likely to say about healthcare at this week’s debates. (MM&M)
