Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was invigorating and inspiring, because that oh-too predictable 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 give it a nudge in a better direction, we are firing up the coffee kettle to brew some cups of stimulation. Our choice today is a new addition to our overflowing pantry — hazelnut mocha. As always, you are invited to join us. Meanwhile, we have once again assembled a few items of interest for you. Best of luck on your journey today and, of course, do keep in touch. …
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission wants more information on a $16.5 million deal in which Novo Nordisk’s parent company would purchase Catalent, a contract drug manufacturer, weeks after an application to the regulator was refiled for approval of the deal, Reuters notes. Catalent said the companies were in the process of gathering information to respond to the agency request, which was received on May 2. In February, Novo Holdings agreed to buy Catalent to boost output of the popular Wegovy weight loss drug, and it would sell three of Catalent’s fill-finish sites for $11 billion to Novo Nordisk, which has struggled to meet demand for its drug.
A battle between the Arkansas Insurance Department and AstraZeneca is heating up with an August hearing scheduled to consider penalties against the company, which filed a lawsuit against the state earlier this year over a law known as the 340B Drug Pricing Nondiscrimination Act, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. The hearing will consider sanctions against AstraZeneca over its refusal to make its drugs discounted under 340B available to more than one contract pharmacy per covered entity. That refusal violates the state law, which went into effect in 2021. In 2023, AstraZeneca adopted a policy that recognizes only one contract pharmacy location for each 340B covered entity.
