The Trump administration will no longer defend the Affordable Care Act in court. The ACA is up against a challenge from 20 states that says parts of the law, including the individual mandate, are unconstitutional. It is the Trump administration’s latest attempt to weaken or repeal the ACA. (CNBC)
Novo Nordisk is considering cutting 3,000 jobs globally, according to a local report. The drugmaker will reportedly unveil its cost-cutting package alongside its second-quarter results in August. It may also adjust its longtime financial target. (Endpoints News)
Pharma companies are being pressured to move birth control over the counter. Delegates from the American Medical Association are set to vote on a resolution to encourage contraceptive makers to submit applications to switch the status of their pills from prescription to over the counter. Two drugmakers, European pharma company HRA Pharma and Cadence Health, are working to get birth control over the counter status in the U.S. (STAT)
The Gates Foundation has launched a nonprofit biotech company. The new entity, the Bill and Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute, will launch with funding of $273 million for its first four years, putting it in a unique position among biotechs. The institute’s focus will be on diseases that disproportionately affect the poor: malaria, tuberculosis, and enteric diseases. (STAT)
