Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating, because that oh-so familiar routine of online meetings, phone calls, and deadlines has returned. But what can you do? The world, such as it is, continues to spin. So to nudge it in a better direction, we have planted ourselves in the Pharmalot cafeteria to quaff cups of stimulation. Our choice today is polar peppermint, for those tracking our habits. Feel free to join us. Meanwhile, we have assembled a few items of interest for you to peruse as you start your journey, which we hope is productive and meaningful. Best of luck and have a wonderful day. …
Novo Holdings, the parent company of Novo Nordisk, can proceed with its planned $16.5 billion acquisition of Catalent, a leading contract drug manufacturer, after U.S. regulators declined to challenge the deal following months of scrutiny, STAT informs us. The companies expect to close the transaction in the next several days, after a deadline passed for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to raise objections and other regulatory conditions were fulfilled, according to statements issued by Novo Nordisk and Catalent. Last week, the European Commission approved the transaction. The deal had generated enormous interest over concerns that competition in the pharmaceutical industry could be harmed. The move was prompted by sporadic shortages of one of the world’s hottest-selling medications — Novo Nordisk’s weight loss treatment Wegovy — and designed, in part, to solve what has been a critical and seemingly intractable problem for Novo Nordisk.
A U.S. government agency warned Sanofi that it faces sanctions over plans to change the way payments are made to most hospitals participating in a drug discount program, the third time in recent months that a major pharmaceutical company has been threatened with such a step, STAT tells us. In a Dec. 13 letter, the Health Resources & Services Administration said that if Sanofi proceeds with its plan, the company could be terminated from the 340B Drug Discount Program. The agency also wrote that the changes require approval by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the agency. Consequently, HRSA instructed the drugmaker to immediately halt its plans. The move came after Sanofi disclosed last month that, as of Jan. 6, certain hospitals covered by the 340B Drug Discount Program would receive credits for medicines ordered at full price from a wholesaler. However, the credit would only be issued after the hospital or clinic submits claims data, including the prescription order, a patient’s hospital visit, and dispensing information.
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