Novartis disclosed that it paid Trump lawyer Michael Cohen $1.2 million under a year-long contract. However, the drug company said Cohen was unable to do consulting work on healthcare policy. The company also said it cooperated with investigators from the office of the special counsel about the contract. (CNBC)
The FDA is calling for two stem cell companies to halt operations after patients became blind from treatments. Both U.S. Stem Cell Clinic in Florida and the Cell Surgical Network in California are the targets of injunction requests. (Washington Post)
Eli Lilly is planning to buy Armo Biosciences for $1.6 billion. The deal is meant to increase Lilly’s cancer drug portfolio by acquiring Armo’s drug pegilodecakin, which is in a late-stage clinical trial for pancreatic cancer. (MarketWatch)
Roche’s PD-L1 drug Tecentriq failed in a Phase III study. The drug was combined with Cotellic to improve survival rates for patients with colorectal cancer but showed no significant results. The company is planning to develop other medicines for colorectal cancer. (Reuters)
Former Novartis executive Bastiano Sanna has been named CEO of Semma Therapeutics. At Novartis, he worked on the leadership team in the cell and gene therapy division. He will continue this research at the startup as Semma develops a stem cell treatment for individuals with type 1 diabetes. (Endpoints)
