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☆ Blue Shield California drops CVS; picks Amazon, others to lower drug price
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CVS Health logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. Non-profit health plan provider Blue Shield, which has 4.8 million members, said it will work with partners including Amazon.com and Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drug Company to provide at-home delivery and access to low-cost medications. Privately held Abarca will pay prescription drug claims, while Prime Therapeutics will work with Blue Shield to negotiate savings with drugmakers, the company said. Blue Shield will also work with CVS Caremark for specialty pharmacy services. The loss of Blue Shield marks another blow to Caremark, which is also set to lose the contract to manage Centene's (CNC.N) $40 billion annual pharmacy needs from next year.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Cuban's, Privately, Manas Mishra, Mariam Sunny, Bhanvi, Shweta Agarwal, Pooja Desai Organizations: CVS, REUTERS, Wall Street Journal, Cigna, UnitedHealth, Company, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Blue Shield of California taps Amazon, Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs for its pharmacy network
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Bertha Coombs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Blue Shield of California is teaming up with Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drug Company and Amazon Pharmacy — turning away from traditional drug store chains and ditching in part health giant CVS — in a move to save on drug costs for its 4.8 million members. "I expect we're going to — when this ramps up completely — we're going to be saving $500 million a year," said Paul Markovich, CEO of Blue Shield of California. For Cost Plus, which sells drugs at 15% above wholesale prices, California Blue Shield is only the second insurer to sign with the online pharmacy since it launched in January 2022. "I think all payers realize that now that Cost Plus has made the price of medications transparent. The health insurer expects to launch the program for its members in 2025.

Persons: Mark Cuban's, Paul Markovich, Markovich Organizations: Drug Company, Amazon Pharmacy, CVS, Blue, of, Cross Locations: of California, California, Harrisburg , Pennsylvania

☆ Stocks making the biggest premarket moves: Walmart, Adobe, Cisco, Hawaiian Electric and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Check out the companies making the biggest moves in premarket trading:Walmart — Shares added as much as 1% after the big-box retailer raised its full-year forecast and reported an earnings and revenue beat. Adobe — The software company added about 2% after Bank of America upgraded shares to buy from neutral. Hawaiian Electric — The utility company that oversees Maui Electric sank nearly 18% in premarket trading, continuing its slide over concerns of its potential liability in Maui's wildfires. On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported Hawaiian Electric is in talks with firms that specialize in restructuring. VinFast Auto — Shares of the electric vehicle start-up fell nearly 5% in premarket trading as VinFast's stock searches for its level after debuting earlier this week.

Persons: Adobe, Cuban's, Wolfspeed, —, Alex Harring, Jesse Pound, Michael Bloom Organizations: Walmart, Refinitv . Revenue, Cisco Systems, postmarket, Refinitiv, Revenue, Adobe, Bank of America, Maui Electric, Wall Street Journal, CVS, California, Drug Company, Amazon Pharmacy, BAE Systems Locations: Williston , Vermont, California

☆ CVS stock plunges after Blue Shield of California drops retailer's pharmacy services to save on drug costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of CVS Health plunged 9% on Thursday after Blue Shield of California said it will drop the company's pharmacy benefit management services and instead partner with Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drug Company and Amazon Pharmacy to save on drug costs for its nearly 5 million members. Blue Shield will now work with five different companies to provide "convenient, transparent access to medications while lowering costs." Blue Shield CEO Paul Markovich said the plan, which is scheduled to fully launch in 2025, could save the company up to $500 million annually. Cuban's Cost Plus Drug Company will provide access to low-cost medications through retail pharmacies. Blue Shield will retain CVS Caremark for its specialty pharmacy services, which provide specialized therapies and counseling to patients suffering from complex disorders.

Persons: Mark Cuban's, Caremark, Paul Markovich, Michael DeAngelis, Centene Organizations: CVS Health, Drug Company, Amazon Pharmacy, UnitedHealth, CVS, Abarca, Blue, CNBC Locations: New York, California

☆ Here are Thursday's biggest analyst calls: Nvidia, Tesla, Home Depot, Disney, Ulta, Nio, Penn & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

TD Cowen reiterates Home Depot as outperform TD said the stock is best-in-class heading into earnings next week. " Deutsche Bank names Walmart and Ulta as top picks Deutsche said it sees upside to estimates for Walmart due to GLP-1 obesity drugs. Citi downgrades Petrobras to neutral from buy Citi downgraded the Brazilian petroleum company mainly due to political risks. " Bank of America reiterates Disney as buy Bank of America said it's standing by its buy rating on the stock after Wednesday's earnings and that its valuation is attractive. Bank of America reiterates Tesla as neutral Bank of America said it's standing by its neutral rating on the stock as cutting prices is keeping margins under pressure. "

Persons: Morgan Stanley, TD Cowen, Ulta, Oppenheimer, Freshpet, Jefferies, GPN, Penn, Truist, PENN, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Davidson, Nio, NIO, Tesla, TSLA Organizations: Nvidia, NVIDIA, Deutsche Bank, Walmart, Deutsche, Citi, Petrobras, Bank of America, Disney, DIS, Jefferies, ESPN, Networks, Holdings, DA, of America Locations: Palo Alto

☆ Mississippi Supreme Court won’t remove Brett Favre from lawsuit over misspent welfare money
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Mississippi Supreme Court says it will not remove NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre as a defendant in a civil lawsuit that seeks to recover millions of dollars of misspent welfare money meant to help some of the poorest people in the United States. Favre asked the Supreme Court to overturn Peterson's decision. Attorneys for the state responded that Favre took $1.1 million in TANF money from Nancy New "for speeches he never made." State attorneys wrote in March that Favre's attorneys had given the court "a long press release" rather than legal arguments in trying to get him out of the lawsuit. The state attorneys wrote in May that the Mississippi Supreme Court does not grant appeals "based on whether a defendant is famous, or on speculations about the plaintiff's motives, or on fact disputes."

Persons: Brett Favre, of Famer Brett Favre, Favre, Faye Peterson, Favre's, Nancy New Organizations: NFL, The Mississippi Supreme, of Famer, Mississippi Department of Human Services, Hinds, of Human Services, Human Services, Nancy, USM Athletic Department Locations: Santa Clara, Calif, The Mississippi, United States, Mississippi

☆ Bernstein picks recession-beating global stocks for ‘value, growth and quality’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Investment bank Bernstein picked a raft of Chinese and Indian stocks in sectors including tech, pharma and IT, naming them on a list of "opportunities for value, growth and quality." "We believe that it is time to increase risk exposure in China by adding more high volatility stocks," the analysts wrote. "GPT can accelerate development of its business and give the company the tailwinds to reshape its strategy," the analysts wrote. Indian stock picks Indian drug company Sun Pharma is also on Bernstein's list of outperform-rated stocks. In India … they have outperformed the market," the analysts wrote, and they also praised Sun's specialty drug portfolio in the U.S.

Persons: Bernstein, Rupal Agarwal, India … Organizations: pharma, " Pharma, Wuxi, Baidu, Sun Pharma, U.S, Infosys, Reliance Industries, New Locations: Asia, China, Wuxi, India, Bangalore, New Commerce

☆ Goldman Sachs names ‘directors’ cut’ conviction list stocks — and adds 2 names
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Goldman Sachs highlighted a slew of stocks on its U.S. "conviction list — director's cut" selection, naming several "most differentiated buy recommendations," in an August 1 research note. Goldman's "directors' cut" is a list of stocks chosen by its U.S. research analysts and managers. The bank collated a list of "top ideas that offer a combination of conviction, a differentiated view and high risk-adjusted returns," before shortlisting 20 to 25 names. Industrial names on the bank's "directors' cut" list included several that Goldman said are benefiting from post-pandemic demand, such as building services firm Johnson Controls and waste disposal company Republic Services . Goldman's note also included a "What has worked" heading, under which its analysts named three stocks.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman's, Goldman, Johnson, Baker Hughes, – EBITDA, JB Hunt, Jordan Alliger, Michael Bloom Organizations: Apple, Healthcare, Merck, Services, Consumer, Body, International, Chevron, JPMorgan

☆ '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

☆ You can now find Costco-style low prices for generic prescription drugs at Kroger in a partnership with Mark Cuban's online pharmacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Alex Bitter | Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kroger is working with Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs to offer some prescriptions at its pharmacies. Cost Plus customers can now pick up their drugs at one of 2,000 Kroger pharmacies. Patients who get their drugs through Cost Plus Drugs can now pick them up at one of 2,000 stores operated by Kroger, Cost Plus tweeted on Wednesday. He started Cost Plus in 2022. Cost Plus Drugs buys drugs directly from the manufacturer and ships them to patients at a 15% markup plus pharmacy fees.

Persons: Kroger, Mark Cuban's, Mark, — Mark, It's Organizations: Service, Kroger, — Mark Cuban, Plus Drug, Dallas Mavericks NBA, Costco, Walmart, Albertsons, Intelligence Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ralph's, Cuban

Overall, an FDA spokesperson says that “trial participants should reflect the population that is likely to use the product if FDA-approved. Across a group of 10 novel cancer therapies approved by the FDA in 2022, data shows the share of Black participants in key clinical trials ranged from zero to 8%. “Access to clinical trials at the sites where patients are living is an important factor to changing the landscape,” Perez says. “There’s been some novel ways to recruit patients, like using the church and using barbershops to recruit Black patients,” Cho says. Haddad says a number of Mayo patients were receiving experimental therapies through clinical trials when the pandemic began.

Persons: ”, Leslie Cho, Robert, Suzanne Tomsich, it’s, Edith Perez, Bolt Biotherapeutics, ” Perez, Eli Lilly, “, Lilly “, they’ll, Craig Lipset, ” Lipset, ” Cho, “ There’s, Dr, Tufia Haddad, Haddad, Mayo, Jennifer Dahne, Larry Hawk, Hawk Organizations: Women’s Cardiovascular, Cleveland Clinic, of Cardiovascular Medicine, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA, “, Health, Committee, Cancer, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Centers for Disease Control, Research Alliance, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Care, Mayo’s Center for Digital Health, College of Medicine, Medical University of South, of Psychology, University, Buffalo, SUNY, JAMA Locations: U.S, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Los Angeles County, Alaska, “, Medical University of South Carolina

☆ 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

☆ A stock trader who returned 630% in 3 years shares 6 key signals he identifies before making a trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

For example, if a stock's price is below the VWAP, it may lure many traders into shorting it, he said. Since Sykes trades penny stocks with less trading volume, he uses indicators that help him determine whether his theses will play out. However, its importance is inferior to the above criteria because the catalyst could move a stock's price in either direction. On the morning of December 1, 2022, the stock's price plunged, creating a pattern he calls a morning panic. This trade fit Sykes' criteria because it had attention on it as a catalyst and created a pattern he trades.

Persons: Timothy Sykes, Sykes, Norman Zadeh, It's, they're, CLOW Organizations: Bollinger, United States, Nasdaq Locations: shorting

☆ Obesity drug Wegovy's popularity has US employers rethinking insurance coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] A selection of injector pens for the Saxenda weight loss drug are shown in this photo illustration in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., March 31, 2023. A new and more expensive version of the drug specifically for weight loss, called Wegovy, had been approved in 2021 by U.S. health regulators. Employers that cover weight-loss drugs have required medical practices to document patients’ need for Wegovy since it was approved. The federal Medicare healthcare program for Americans aged 65 and older cannot cover weight loss treatments by law. Only 16 states – the most populous being California, Pennsylvania and Michigan – cover Wegovy and other obesity drugs under their Medicaid plans for low-income patients.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Shawnte, Aon, Mercer, Willis Towers Watson, Eli Lilly, Jeff Levin, Levin, Scherz, Michael Manolakis, William Yancy, Manolakis, Patrick Wingrove, Michele Gershberg, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: REUTERS, New, Warner Bros, Warner Bros Discovery Inc, Reuters, Marsh & McLennan, Employers, Barclays Research, Novo Nordisk, Duke University, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, New York, Marsh, Wegovy, California, Pennsylvania, Michigan

☆ A 20-year fund manager shares 8 mega-trend stocks he's betting will take market share — and the 5 he's shorting
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Gary Black says the stock market will continue to trend higher with volatility this year. What the remainder of 2023 has in store for the stock market is anyone's guess at this point. But Gary Black, a 20-year fund manager, and the portfolio manager and managing partner at The Future Fund, has a more positive outlook. The next mega trend is big data and cyber security. mega trend losersOn the side of stocks being shorted, these are the companies that Black expects will lose market share due to these mega trends.

Persons: Gary Black, Phillip Wool, it's, Black, He's, cybertruck, Tesla, Elon Musk, Eli Lilly, Lilly, LULU, Armour Organizations: Federal, Federal Reserve, EV, Tesla, Company, Palo Alto Networks, Nvidia, Toyota, CNBC, Bloomberg, UA, MAX Holdings Locations: China's, overproducing

☆ Mark Cuban says healthcare has to have more of a 'Netflix model'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Vishal Persaud | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mark Cuban recently appeared on the a16z podcast "Bio Eats World" to talk about healthcare. Cuban believes healthcare systems need to adopt more of a "Netflix model" to "truly work." Mark Cuban has been disrupting healthcare with his low-cost online pharmacy, but there are other areas of the industry that can be improved upon too, he believes. Cuban believes that this model, in some ways, can also be applied to a local hospital or healthcare system. "If we're going to change healthcare," Cuban said.

Persons: Mark Cuban, Vijay Pande, Andreessen Organizations: Netflix, Dallas Mavericks, Cuban, Plus Locations: Cuban

☆ When will an RSV vaccine be available?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Katia Hetter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a vaccine against the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, for adults 60 and older. Could the vaccine be available this winter, and how can people access it? The RSV vaccine specifically targets RSV. However, there is an RSV vaccine being developed by the drug company Pfizer that is being tested in pregnant women for the purpose of conveying protection to the infant. However, the FDA may not make a decision on when to make the vaccine available for pregnant people until this summer.

☆ With debt crisis looming, look to these names and sectors, Jim Cramer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Investors can look at the debt ceiling crisis of 2011 for guidance on where to invest as the nation contends with a similar stalemate and potential downturn, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Thursday. "We can buy the stocks of literally any drug company," Cramer said. Consumer products stocks also offer opportunities, Cramer continued. "I'd be thinking of Procter & Gamble ," he said, noting it held up during the 2011 debt downturn, and of Johnson & Johnson spinoff Kenvue. Alongside those names, Cramer believes that PepsiCo is a "fabulous performer," and that Mondelez and Hershey both offer strength among the food names.

☆ Martin Shkreli-founded drug company files for bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Dietrich Knauth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Vyera said its bankruptcy was the result of declining profits, increased competition for generic drugs, and litigation alleging that Vyera suppressed competition for its most valuable drug, Daraprim. Daraprim is a life-saving anti-parasitic medicine that Shkreli infamously raised the price on by more than 4000% and worked to choke off generic competition for after the company acquired the drug in 2015. Vyera filed a Chapter 11 plan in court on Wednesday, laying out it its intent to repay creditors through asset sales. Vyera said that recently-sold vouchers have fetched prices between $95 million and $120 million in sales that have occurred since 2020. Vyera listed Duane Morris as its largest unsecured creditor in its bankruptcy filing, with a $2.1 million asserted debt.

☆ A drug company abandoned a treatment for ‘bubble boy disease.’ After a 5-year fight, this little girl is about to get it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Elizabeth Cohen Lauren Mascarenhas | Elizabeth Cohen | Lauren Mascarenhas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +29 min

The Sulacks weighed their options: Have a transplant with a match that was less than ideal – far less – or wait for gene therapy to become available. The news release didn’t say anything else about the SCID gene therapy. Or was the company abandoning its plans for SCID gene therapy altogether? In February, 2021, the parents of more than 20 children who were waiting for the gene therapy treatment, including the Sulacks, wrote a letter to Gaspar. Insurance companies have sometimes balked at paying for gene therapy, which is typically given in one treatment.

☆ How Joe Biden Can Win in 2024 - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Lis Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

For months, Democrats have been frustrated with the gap between Mr. Biden’s accomplishments and the public’s awareness of them. The timing is right, because these programs are starting to have a big impact on the lives of many Americans. The administration says it has financed over 4,600 bridge repair and replacement projects across the country. Since his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury, his grip on the party, at least based on recent polling evidence, has grown tighter. That may be good news for his campaign, but he has significant vulnerabilities in a general election.

Citi is bullish on Merck , saying that the company's drug pipeline is underappreciated by the market. The exclusive license and collaboration agreement for ADC development helps Merck in developing more cancer treatment drugs — and Citi thinks it could rival its competitors' offerings. Citi anticipates further upside for Merck shares from the Inflation Reduction Act. To be sure, Baum noted a key downside risk to his valuation is if the ADC pipeline disappoints. Further risks include lower-than-anticipated value share capture by the company's Melanoma treatment drug Keytruda, and a slowdown in its animal health business.

☆ Drug Company Leaders Condemn Ruling Invalidating F.D.A. Approval of Abortion Pill
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Christina Jewett | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Senior executives of more than 250 pharmaceutical and biotech companies on Monday issued a scorching condemnation of a ruling by a federal judge that invalidated the Food and Drug Administration’s 23-year-old approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, and they called for the decision to be reversed. “The decision ignores decades of scientific evidence and legal precedent,” said the letter, which was signed by leaders of some of the industry’s most prominent companies, including Albert Bourla, chief executive of Pfizer, and Alisha Alaimo, president of Biogen. The ruling, by Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, “has set a precedent for diminishing F.D.A.’s authority over drug approvals, and in so doing, creates uncertainty for the entire biopharma industry,” the letter argues. The letter also said that pharmaceutical companies rely on the F.D.A.’s autonomy to bring products to market under a “reliable regulatory process for drug evaluation and approval.”

The Alzheimer's Association and the pharmaceutical industry say the drug companies are not directly involved in the campaign. But the Alzheimer's Association says patients simply don't have the time to spare. The agency did not address the Alzheimer's Association campaign. Association members have met 30 times with staffers for the state's 20 members of Congress, Ryan Schiff, the chapter's public policy manager, said. Spokespeople for all three companies said they do not work with the Association on its campaign to expand Medicare coverage of the drugs.

☆ Pfizer in Talks to Acquire Seagen in Deal Likely Valued at More Than $30 Billion
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Jared S. Hopkins | Jonathan D. Rockoff | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Pfizer, one of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies, is flush with cash. Pfizer Inc. is in talks to acquire biotech Seagen Inc., according to people familiar with the matter, the latest potential deal for a big drug company aimed at adding a promising class of targeted cancer therapies. The talks are at an early stage and there is no guarantee there will be a deal, the people said. A number of hurdles would need to be overcome, including the potential for a stringent antitrust review of any proposal. If there is a deal, it would be big: Seagen has a market value of some $30 billion and would be expected to command a premium over that.

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