Merck’s Keytruda cancer treatment succeeded in extending survival and preventing disease progression when paired with chemotherapy in a late-stage study, the company said on Wednesday. The drug met its goals when compared with just chemotherapy. (Reuters)


Astellas is planning to cut 600 positions through an early retirement program, part of CEO Kenji Yasukawa’s plan to restructure the company. Astellas is planning to reorganize R&D and sales and marketing, as well as its group companies in Japan. (Endpoints)

The FDA is set to make a decision on Teva Pharmaceutical’s migraine drug by mid-September, the company said on Wednesday. It had initially hoped for approval of the treatment, fremanezumab, by June. Teva is planning to launch the drug commercially as soon as it is approved. (Reuters)

The House of Representatives passed “Right to Try” legislation by a vote of 250-169 on Tuesday. President Donald Trump had urged Congress to pass the measure. More than 100 groups, including the American Cancer Society, have opposed the bill. (The Hill)

Sunscreen pills are fake news, the FDA warned consumers this week, ordering companies that make them to cease doing so. “There’s no pill or capsule that can replace your sunscreen,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement on Tuesday. (NBC News)