1. FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb has called for new safety standards for prescribing immediate-release opioids. This will included expanded training for physicians and nurses. (WSJ)
2. An FDA advisory committee is expected to meet Wednesday to discuss Novartis’ experimental CAR-T therapy. The regulator is likely most interested in learning more about the therapy’s safety profile. (Reuters)
3. Pfizer and Eli Lilly have halted TV buys ads for erectile dysfunction drugs Viagra and Cialis, respectively, for the upcoming NFL season. Viagra used to be the NFL’s top-spending pharmaceutical brand. (Ad Age)
4. The FDA last week approved Endari, a treatment for sickle cell disease marketed by Emmaus Medical. It’s the first new drug to treat the disease, which mostly affects black patients, in nearly 20 years. (AP)
5. In response to a request from the FDA, Endo pulled its opioid painkiller Opana ER off the market. The agency said the drug is being abused. (AP via Modern Healthcare)
