A judge has declined drug companies’ efforts to dismiss claims that they contributed to the opioid crisis. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster is overseeing 2,000 state, city and county lawsuits against pharma companies, drug distributors, pharmacies and insurers. The case is scheduled to go to trial on October 21. (Reuters)
New York City’s measles outbreak is over. City officials said the largest outbreak in 30 years has ended, with no new cases reported since mid-July. More than 650 people were infected, and the city spent $6-million-plus to combat the outbreak. (Washington Post)
CVS has launched a $50 million campaign against vaping. The initiative will include educational tools about smoking and vaping for physicians and smoking-cessation programs through Aetna and CVS Caremark. (The Hill)
New CEO Paul Hudson has taken the reins at Sanofi. He succeeded Olivier Brandicourt, who had served as CEO since 2015. Hudson, who was previously the top pharma exec at Novartis, is tasked with reviving a slowing pipeline and dipping sales. (Bloomberg)
Cancer overtook heart disease as the leading cause of death in wealthy countries, now killing twice as many people as heart disease. The availability of blood pressure and cholesterol drugs in wealthy countries is likely what caused the decrease in heart-disease deaths. Globally, heart disease accounts for 40% of all deaths. (Reuters)
