1. Sanofi filed a lawsuit alleging that Novo Nordisk falsely claimed that Lantus and Toujeo, two of Sanofi’s insulin products, would no longer be available to patients based on their formulary status with CVS Caremark. Sanofi is requesting that Novo withdraw marketing materials for Tresiba. (Reuters)
2. The FDA’s Office of Prescription Drug Promotion issued two more untitled letters, to Zydus Discovery and Camargo Pharmaceutical Services. That brings the number of OPDP regulatory actions this month to 6.
3. Increased spending on diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and low back and neck pain led to “substantial increases” in U.S. healthcare spending from 1996 through 2013. (JAMA)
4. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries will pay $519 million after pleading guilty that it paid bribes to government officials in Russia, Ukraine, and Mexico. The drugmaker will pay $283 million in a criminal penalty and $236 million for the civil charges. (Law360)
5. ICYMI: Few minority patients have participated in clinical trials for immunotherapies. Only 8% of patients participating in a lung-cancer trial for Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Opdivo were black, Asian, or described as “other.” The remaining 92% were white patients. (NYT)
