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☆ US senators push drugmakers for details on low-cost insulin programs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Democratic Senators Maggie Hassan and Tina Smith sent a letter asking the drugmakers for information on eligibility criteria for the programs, including whether a patient’s insurance status or income barred them from joining, and the steps insulin users had to take to sign up. Novo, Lilly and Sanofi, which account for 90% of the U.S. insulin market, pledged in March to lower the list prices of many of their insulin products by 70%-78% later this year or in 2024. The White House on Tuesday announced that a Novo insulin was among the 10 high-cost prescription drugs selected for the first-ever price negotiations by the U.S. Medicare health program that covers 66 million people. Hassan and Smith argued that to enroll in the drugmakers’ insulin programs, patients had to go through a lengthy and complicated process that required them fill out five to 10 pages of documentation and wait an unknown amount of time for approval. Around 8.4 million of the 37 million people in the United States with diabetes use insulin, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Persons: George Frey, Eli Lilly, Maggie Hassan, Tina Smith, Lilly, Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Hassan, Smith, Patrick Wingrove, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Novo Nordisk Pharmaceutical, REUTERS, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Democratic, U.S, Democrat, American Diabetes Association, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, United States

☆ Morgan Stanley names cash-rich global stocks with 'better downside protection'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Morgan Stanley named a raft of European stocks with strong balance sheets, lots of cash or high shareholder returns. High cash flow and shareholder returns The bank also screened for companies with "resilient high free cash flow." "Self-financing companies should be better able to weather any prolonged macroeconomic weakness, deploying capital effectively and seizing opportunities that come along the way," Morgan Stanley said. "Cash-rich companies with high free cash flow yields should also have better downside protection, while providing upside potential if management is able to deploy its cash effectively," the bank said. Those firms also have "positive free cash flow and net income growth expected over the next 2 years," the bank said.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Burberry, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: CNBC, JD Sports, Sanofi, Airbus, MTU Aero Engines, SAP, WPP, Publicis Groupe, InterContinental Locations: Europe

Aug 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Pfizer's (PFE.N) respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for use in women during the middle of the third trimester of pregnancy to protect their babies. An FDA panel of outside experts backed the safety and effectiveness of Pfizer's RSV vaccine for women in their second and third trimesters earlier in May. RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms but can also lead to serious illness and hospitalization. Infants are at greatest risk for severe illness from RSV. An estimated 58,000 to 80,000 children below the age of five years are hospitalized every year due to RSV infection in the U.S., according to government data.

Persons: Pfizer, Mariam Sunny, Bhanvi, Patrick Wingrove, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA, Pfizer, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, GSK, Thomson Locations: U.S, United States, Bengaluru, New York

☆ FDA approves Pfizer maternal RSV vaccine for infants
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

It's now the second treatment approved by the FDA to prevent RSV in infants and the first vaccine. It uses maternal immunization, which refers to vaccinating pregnant mothers so they can pass protective antibodies to their fetuses. "When you think globally, this vaccine could potentially have a huge public health impact," Gurtman told CNBC. The FDA in mid-July approved an RSV monoclonal antibody from Sanofi and AstraZeneca that is directly administered to infants. The shot would help the U.S. combat the upcoming RSV season as it comes off an unusually severe year.

Persons: It's, Alejandra Gurtman, Gurtman, Dr, Peter Marks Organizations: Drug Administration, Pfizer, FDA, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CNBC, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, CDC Locations: U.S

☆ Amazon Pharmacy automates discounts to help insulin patients get pledged prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Aug 15 (Reuters) - Amazon.com (AMZN.O) said on Tuesday its online pharmacy will automatically apply manufacturer-sponsored coupons to more than 15 insulin and diabetes medicines to help patients access discounts pledged by the drug industry. Vin Gupta, Amazon Pharmacy's Chief Medical Officer, said the report highlighted the need to make it easier for patients to get their insulin at the lowest possible prices. Amazon Pharmacy will also automatically apply available discounts to diabetes-related medical devices from manufacturers Dexcom and Insulet, including continuous glucose monitors and pumps, as well as to other cardiometabolic medicines such as Novo's powerful weight-loss drug Wegovy. American Diabetes Association Chief Executive Officer Charles Henderson said Amazon's automated discounting would help the 37 million Americans with diabetes more easily access the treatments they need. So, we're going to create options that gives them access to these medications," Amazon Pharmacy Vice President John Love told Reuters.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Lilly, Elizabeth Warren, Vin Gupta, Wegovy, Charles Henderson, John Love, Patrick Wingrove, Sandra Maler Organizations: Amazon Pharmacy, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Amazon, Congress, American Diabetes Association, Walgreens, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York

☆ Regeneron expects FDA decision on higher-dose Eylea this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Khushi Mandowara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Regeneron Pharmaceuticals company logo is seen on a building at the company's Westchester campus in Tarrytown, New York, U.S. September 17, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoAug 3 (Reuters) - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN.O) expects a U.S. decision on a higher-dose version of its blockbuster eye disease drug Eylea in the third quarter, much earlier than market expectations, sending its shares up 5% on Thursday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to approve the higher-dose version in June following an inspection at third-party manufacturer Catalent (CTLT.N). Regeneron said it has been submitting manufacturing data required by the FDA on a rolling basis, and expects to finish the submissions by mid-August. Regeneron said the higher-dose Eylea was manufactured on the same line as pozelimab, its experimental drug being reviewed to treat a rare blood disease.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Regeneron, Wells, Mohit Bansal, Bayer, Sanofi, Khushi, Sriraj Organizations: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, REUTERS, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA, Thomson Locations: Westchester, Tarrytown , New York, U.S, Eylea, Bengaluru

☆ Infant RSV shot faces final hurdle at CDC, could be available by fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CDC Director Mandy Cohen is not obligated to endorse the vote of the advisors, though the head of the agency usually follows the panel's advice. Beyfortus, also called nirsevimab, is set to become the first shot in the U.S. that protects all infants from RSV. Sanofi has said the companies are prepared to roll the shot out before RSV season this fall and do not foresee any challenges meeting demand. Although Beyfortus works like a vaccine, the shot is considered a drug, not a vaccine, because it is an antibody injection. Advisors are also voting Thursday on whether Beyfortus should be included in the Vaccines for Children program, making the votes a crucial step for the drug.

Persons: Mandy Cohen Organizations: Centers for Disease Control, Sanofi, Children, Advisors, Vaccines Locations: U.S

☆ US CDC panel recommends Sanofi-AstraZeneca's preventive RSV therapy for babies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Sanofi logo at the company's headquarters during the annual results news conference in Paris, France, February 4, 2022. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File PhotoCompanies AstraZeneca PLC FollowSanofi SA FollowAug 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said its advisory panel on Thursday recommended use of Sanofi (SASY.PA) and partner AstraZeneca's (AZN.L) antibody therapy to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants and toddlers. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices unanimously recommended nirsevimab for preventing lower respiratory tract disease in newborns and infants below eight months of age born during or entering their first RSV season. It also recommended its use in children aged 8-19 months who remain vulnerable to severe RSV disease through their second such season. The therapy, branded as Beyfortus, will be available in the U.S. ahead of the upcoming 2023-24 RSV season, Sanofi said.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, AstraZeneca's, Sanofi, Mrinmay Dey, Mariam Sunny Organizations: Sanofi, REUTERS, Companies AstraZeneca, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson on Q2 results: Our underlying growth is still high-single digit
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSanofi CEO Paul Hudson on Q2 results: Our underlying growth is still high-single digitSanofi CEO Paul Hudson joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the company's quarterly results after its earnings beat estimates, new drug launches, rest of the year outlook, and more.

Persons: Paul Hudson Organizations: Sanofi

☆ UK investigates weight loss, diabetes drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic for suicide risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Packages of the weight-loss drug Wegovy from the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk lie on the sales counter in a Danish pharmacy. U.K. health authorities on Wednesday said they are reviewing obesity and diabetes drugs like Novo Nordisk 's Wegovy and Ozempic after some patients who took the treatments reported thoughts of suicide or self-harm. The MHRA said the review includes all obesity and diabetes drugs available in the U.K. Aside from Ozempic and Wegovy, it includes Novo Nordisk's other weight loss drug Saxenda. Other diabetes drugs like AstraZeneca 's Bydureon, Eli Lilly 's Trulicity and Sanofi 's Lyxumia are also included in the probe. Novo Nordisk said in a statement that it received a review request from the MHRA on Monday.

Persons: MHRA, Eli Lilly, Sanofi Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Nordisk, Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, CNBC, European Union, AstraZeneca, Reuters Locations: Danish, U.S, Novo

☆ Exclusive: UK probes Novo's Ozempic, weight-loss drug Saxenda over suicidal, self-harming thoughts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Saxenda is Novo's older GLP-1 drug and has lower effectiveness than its newer obesity treatment Wegovy, which contains semaglutide. Novo told Reuters it had received a request on Monday from the MHRA about the agency's review of potential suicidal and self-harming thoughts related to GLP-1 drugs. The MHRA said AstraZeneca's GLP-1 drug for type 2 diabetes, called exenatide and marketed as Bydureon, was also included in the review. The MHRA said that two other GLP-1 drugs, Sanofi's (SASY.PA) lixisenatide and Eli Lilly's (LLY.N) dulaglutide, were also included. It is also investigating GLP-1 drugs for possible risk of thyroid cancer.

Persons: Novo, AstraZeneca's GLP, lixisenatide, Eli Lilly's, Sanofi, Eli Lilly, liraglutide, Alison Cave, Novo's, MHRA, Ozempic, GLP, Maggie Fick, Josephine Mason, Mark Potter, Jane Merriman Organizations: Novo Nordisk, European Union, The Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, Reuters, AstraZeneca, European Medicines Agency, Thomson Locations: Britain, Europe, United States

☆ 'Good value, low risk, high quality': BofA names top Europe stocks to beat a recession
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bank of America has named multiple European "top stocks" it says are of "good value, low risk" and "high quality." All of them turned up on "recession screens" for July, in a market BofA described as a being in a recession style cycle. The euro zone entered recession in the first quarter of the year, according to economic data released last month. Energy companies the bank named include Shell , German company EON and Italian firm Enel . During recession cycles, investors have benefited from being overweight on value stocks rather than growth stocks, as well as on stocks with strong balance sheets and lower risk, BofA added, citing research based on a testing period between 1992 and 2003.

Persons: EON, Reckitt, BofA, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: of America, Roche, Novartis, Sanofi, GSK, Volvo, Benz, Ferrari . Energy, Shell, Unilever, Lysol, Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Auto Locations: Howden

☆ What we hope to see from 9 Club stocks out with earnings in the week ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

Looking to next week, earnings season will ramp up — and though we'll get some important economic data, expect the corporate releases and management commentary on the post-game calls to be firmly in the driver's seat. Here are two important things to know for the week ahead. Quarterly earnings : As important as economic releases are, it's earnings that will garner the bulk of investors' attention. For those looking to review first-quarter performance ahead of these releases, keep our first-quarter earnings report card handy. Here's the full rundown of all the important domestic data in the week ahead.

Persons: Dow, we'll, we've, Lawrence Yun, Jerome Powell's, Sartorius, Sartorius preannounced, It's, management's, We'll, Tesla, Ford's, Sherwin, Williams, Archer, Clark, Lam, Edwards Lifesciences, Hewlett, Northrop, Dr Pepper, Davidson, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Spencer Platt Organizations: Nasdaq, Economic, National Association of Realtors, Nine, GE Healthcare, Microsoft, YouTube, Linde, LIN, Honeywell, Aerospace, Technologies, Ford, Procter & Gamble, Dynex, HBT, Hope Bancorp, NXP Semiconductors, Cadence Design Systems, Whirlpool, Logitech International, Liberty Global, Verizon Communications, General Motors, General Electric, GE, Spotify, Raytheon Technologies, Daniels, Midland, Albertsons Companies, ACI, Polaris Industries, Inc, Dow Chemical, DOW, Xerox, Texas Instruments, WM, Canadian National Railway Company, Chubb Corporation, Universal Health Services, Powell, Boeing, Hilton, Union Pacific, General Dynamics, Quest Diagnostics, Otis Worldwide, Grill, Lam Research, eBay, EBAY, Mattel, Hewlett Packard, L3Harris Technologies, Gross, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Southwest Airlines, Mastercard, Myers Squibb, Northrop Grumman, Hertz, Tractor Supply Company, HCA Healthcare, Boston, Hershey, Comcast, Harley, Norfolk Southern, Intel, Mobile, United States Steel Corp, KLA Corporation, Boston Beer Company, Nation Entertainment, Texas, Procter, Gamble, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Charter Communications, AstraZeneca, Colgate, Palmolive, Newell Brands, Sanofi, Dwight, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC, New York Stock Exchange, Getty Locations: U.S, Hollywood, Cleveland, Corning, Kimberly, Bristol, Norfolk

☆ Sanofi expects infant RSV shot to roll out before respiratory virus season this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Sanofi expects its infant RSV shot to roll out in the U.S. before respiratory virus season this fall, a company spokesperson said Friday. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Beyfortus, a monoclonal antibody that is administered as a single dose to infants before or during their first respiratory syncytial virus season. The Sanofi spokesperson said the company does not expect any challenges with manufacturing or capacity to meet demand this RSV season. Sanofi is working with the panel to place Beyfortus on the U.S. childhood immunization schedule, the company spokesperson said. Nearly 100 infants die every year in the U.S. from the virus, according to a study last year.

Persons: Sanofi, Beyfortus, Biden Organizations: Drug Administration, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Centers for Disease Control, Children Locations: U.S, French, England

☆ Ryanair will return to Ukraine within weeks of war ending
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —Ryanair is planning to connect major airports in Ukraine to almost two dozen European capitals within weeks of the country’s airspace reopening when the war ends. Ryanair (RYAAY) said in a statement Thursday it would offer flights to and from Ukraine within eight weeks of that happening. Speaking from Kyiv, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said the carrier would “charge back” into Ukraine after the war. “The visit of Ryanair senior management to Boryspil Airport is a powerful signal that the largest airline in Europe sees huge potential in the Ukrainian air transport market,” said Boryspil International Airport CEO Oleksiy Dubrevskyy. The move highlights Ukraine’s sustained efforts to court international investors, as it plans for its future after the war.

Persons: Michael O’Leary, O’Leary, “, ”, Oleksiy Dubrevskyy, Philips —, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: London CNN, Ryanair, Boeing, European Union Aviation Safety Agency, European Union, Kherson —, Boryspil, Boryspil International, Conference, Citi, Sanofi, Philips, BlackRock, JPMorgan, Ukraine Development Fund Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Kharkiv, Kherson, ”, Ukrainian, Europe, London

☆ FDA approves AstraZeneca, Sanofi shot that protects infants and toddlers against RSV
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The FDA approval of nirsevimab, sold under the brand name Beyfortus, comes ahead of RSV season this fall. This is a major advantage over palivizumab, which is administered monthly throughout RSV season. Nirsevimab is administered either before or during an infant's first RSV season. Toddlers up to two years old who remain vulnerable can also receive the shot during their second RSV season. Pfizer has developed a vaccine that protects infants by administering the shot to the mother while she is pregnant.

Persons: Biden, Nirsevimab Organizations: Drug Administration, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, FDA, Disease Control, Children, CDC, Pfizer Locations: U.S, Nirsevimab

☆ F.D.A. Approves R.S.V. Shot for Infants
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Christina Jewett | More About Christina Jewett | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved a shot to protect infants and vulnerable toddlers against respiratory syncytial virus, or R.S.V., offering one of the first protections for an illness that fills children’s hospitals year after year. The monoclonal antibody shot is expected to be available at the start of the fall R.S.V. vaccine by Pfizer for pregnant women that is meant to protect infants from the virus. can cause serious disease in infants and some children and results in a large number of emergency department and physician office visits each year,” Dr. John Farley, an official in the F.D.A. “Today’s approval addresses the great need for products to help reduce the impact of R.S.V.

Persons: ” Dr, John Farley, “ Organizations: Drug Administration, Pfizer, Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Centers for Disease Control, Center, Drug, Research

☆ US FDA approves Sanofi-AstraZeneca's preventive RSV therapy for babies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Monday it had approved Sanofi (SASY.PA) and partner AstraZeneca's (AZN.L) antibody therapy to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants and toddlers. The therapy, branded Beyfortus, was approved for preventing lower respiratory tract disease in infants born during or entering their first RSV season, and in children up to 24 months of age who remain vulnerable to severe RSV disease through their second such season. The companies plan to make Beyfortus available in the United States ahead of the upcoming RSV season, Sanofi said, adding that it plans to share more information about the therapy's price closer to the season. RSV is a leading cause of hospitalizations in infants and so far Swedish Orphan Biovitrum's (SOBIV.ST) treatment, Synagis, was the only approved preventive therapy in the United States for high-risk infants. The therapy comes with warnings and precautions about serious hypersensitivity reactions, and should be given with caution to infants and children with clinically significant bleeding disorders, the FDA said.

Persons: AstraZeneca's, Sanofi, Beyfortus, Bhanvi Satija, Shinjini Ganguli, Maju Samuel Organizations: U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Sanofi, American Academy of Pediatrics, FDA, Thomson Locations: U.S, United States, Bengaluru

☆ What investors need to know about weight loss medicines and suicide risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Investors would be forgiven if talk of a potential suicide risk associated with a new class of diabetes and weight loss drugs led to skittishness last week. Prior attempts to treat overweight or obese patients with medications were often plagued with side effects and drug recalls. The first is that most obesity drugs, including GLP-1s, are "centrally acting," which means they work on a patient's brain. The second is that prior obesity drugs have been withdrawn because of high rates of psychiatric disorders, he said, citing Sanofi's Acomplia as one of the more recent examples. This was not the case for the GLP-1 medications.

Persons: skittishness, Eli Lilly's Trulicity, Lilly's, Wolfe, Tim Anderson, Anderson, Sanofi's Acomplia, Eli Lilly, Wolfe's Anderson, Colin Bristow, Lilly, LLY's, Peter Verdult, Wegovy, Verdult, Bristow, Emmanuel Papadakis, Papadakis, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Nordisk's Ozempic, Wall Street, European Medicines Agency, EMA, Wolfe Research, FDA, UBS, Citi, Novo Nordisk, Deutsche Bank, Prevention Locations: United States, U.S

☆ Uninsured US patients pay up to $330 for Eli Lilly’s $25 insulin, Senator Warren says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Warren’s survey of chain and independent pharmacies across all 50 states, carried out between June 9 and 28, found a third of drug stores charged $164 or more to uninsured patients for Lilly’s Insulin Lispro. Lilly said at the time it would drop the price of its Lispro insulin injection, a generic version of its own branded Humalog, to $25 a vial. The senator’s office found chain stores charged uninsured customers an average of $123 per vial for the generic insulin, compared to $63 at independent pharmacies. “This is a deeply troubling finding, revealing that the pharmacies offering the most affordable Insulin Lispro were the least likely to have it in stock,” the report said. Around 8.4 million of the 37 million people in the United States with diabetes use insulin, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Persons: Eli Lilly, George Frey, Eli, Elizabeth Warren’s, Lilly, Joe Biden’s, drugmaker, Warren, Patrick Wingrove, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Company, REUTERS, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, U.S, National Community Pharmacists Association, Democrat, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walmart, Rite, CVS Health, Aid, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, American Diabetes Association, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, Indianapolis, United States, New York

☆ JPMorgan reveals its 'pecking order' for the second half including these high-yielding global stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

JPMorgan has named a raft of European stocks it described as having high yields, strong balance sheets and safe dividends, such as BT Group , Bayer and Sainsbury's . In a July 3 note detailing its outlook for the second half of the year, analysts led by Mislav Matejka stated: "Our pecking order for 2H is: bullish on Staples, Utilities, Telecoms and Healthcare, European Energy could hold up well." The bank said international markets had outperformed the U.S., adding that it sees a "significant valuation discount in International vs US stocks." Its European Sustainable yield basket — made up of 40 "high- and sustainable-yielding European stocks, with safe dividends and strong balance sheets" — include stocks across the bank's preferred sectors. JPMorgan also chose a number of "cheap" global sectors it expects to outperform, including telecoms, energy and staples.

Persons: Mislav Matejka, JPMorgan's, J Sainsbury, Banks, Michael Bloom Organizations: JPMorgan, BT Group, Bayer, Sainsbury's, Healthcare, European Energy, International, Novartis, Sanofi, Telefonica, Telia Locations: Staples, Utilities, Swiss, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Europe

☆ EU probes Novo Nordisk drugs after reports of suicidal thoughts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Suicidal thoughts are not currently listed as a side effect in the EU product information of these treatments. Side effects have hobbled several previous attempts by the drug industry to develop lucrative weight-loss drugs. Sanofi's (SASY.PA) Acomplia, which never won a U.S. approval, was withdrawn in Europe in 2008 after being linked to suicidal thoughts. New weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy, however, regulate appetite by mimicking a gut hormone, and not directly interfere with brain chemistry. Safety data did not show any "causal association" between the suicidal or self-harming thoughts and the drugs, it added.

Persons: Acomplia, Bhanvi, Ludwig Burger, Savio D'Souza, Nivedita Organizations: European Medicines Agency, EMA, Icelandic Medicines Agency, Novo Nordisk, Thomson Locations: Danish, United States, Europe, Novo, Bengaluru, Frankfurt

☆ Moderna strikes deal to develop mRNA drugs in China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Moderna on Wednesday said it struck a deal with Chinese officials to research, develop and manufacture messenger RNA medicines in the country, despite rising tensions between the U.S. and China. The Massachusetts-based biotech company signed a memorandum of understanding and a related land collaboration deal to develop drugs that will "be exclusively for the Chinese people" and won't "be exported," a Moderna spokesperson told CNBC. The Moderna spokesperson did not confirm the report or comment on the size of the deal. Moderna in May said it was keen to sell its mRNA Covid vaccine to China after registering a legal entity in the world's second-largest economy. The country has also struggled to develop mRNA technology at home during the pandemic.

Persons: Stéphane Bancel, It's, drugmakers, Biden Organizations: Moderna, U.S, CNBC, The Moderna, Pfizer, China's Ministry of Commerce, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, Merck, Sanofi, GE HealthCare Technologies Locations: China, The Massachusetts, Shanghai, Japan, Canada, Australia, Kenya, Beijing, New York

BEIJING, July 5 (Reuters) - China's Commerce Minister told foreign pharmaceuticals firms they can expect "more development opportunities" during a roundtable on Wednesday, his ministry said, as drugmakers bemoan government procurement policies pricing them out of the market. Foreign pharmaceuticals firms have struggled to cement any inroads they have made into the world's second-largest economy, with the government maintaining a drug procurement programme that forces them to slash their prices and refusing to approve the use of any foreign COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic. But as China pursues home-grown modernisation it will also open up "more development opportunities for foreign-funded enterprises, including the pharmaceutical industry," Wang told the meeting. Wang told the meeting on Wednesday that his ministry will expand the channels of communication for responding to and solving concerns, with the meeting resulting in 25 specific suggestions to be taken forward. Reporting by Joe Cash; Additional reporting by Kevin Yao;Editing by Elaine HardcastleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Roche, Takeda, Wang Wentao, Wang, Li Qiang, Li, drugmakers, Joe Cash, Kevin Yao, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: China's Commerce, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi, Moderna, Wednesday, Economic, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Tianjin

☆ Sanofi says it's back to the drawing board on mRNA flu vaccines
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Ludwig Burger | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Both A and B viruses are responsible for seasonal flu epidemics each year and currently available flu shots work against both strains. "To succeed in mRNA flu, you need the next generation of mRNA technology, which is exactly what we are working on," Thomas Triomphe, head of vaccines at Sanofi, told Reuters. Pfizer (PFE.N) last year started a large late-stage trial testing an mRNA-based flu vaccine candidate. Sanofi, which is among the top four global vaccines makers by sales, trailing GSK (GSK.L), Merck & Co (MRK.N) and Pfizer (PFE.N), has a broad vaccines offering, including flu, childhood shots and travel vaccines. The French company's vaccine sales accounted for 7.2 billion euros ($7.85 billion) of 43 billion euros in group sales last year.

Persons: Thomas Triomphe, BioNTech, Ludwig Burger, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: Sanofi, Reuters, Pfizer, COVID, GSK, Merck & Co, Thomson

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