White House

President Joe Biden has proposed expansions to the Inflation Reduction Act, including an increase in the annual number of prescription drugs that would be subject to price negotiations to 50, up from 20.

Money

The early-stage oncology startup filed for an initial public offering on Wednesday, seeking funds to help develop its novel cancer therapies targeting extrachromosomal DNA.

The company said its new program will dramatically decrease costs at the pharmacy counter for patients, including those who are uninsured or underinsured.

Eisai

The company expects to reach 90% of its target for integrated delivery networks (IDNs) used to administer the drug in the U.S. in the fiscal year ending this month, its CEO stated.

A U.S. appeals court upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit by a conservative group opposed to diversity initiatives in medicine that challenged a Pfizer fellowship program designed to boost the pipeline of Black, Latino, and Native American people leadership positions at the drugmaker.

AstraZeneca

The company’s planned investment includes 450 million pounds to research, develop and manufacture vaccines at its manufacturing site in Speke, Liverpool, and another 200 million pounds to expand its existing presence in Cambridge, where its global headquarters are located.

Money

Since the calendar turned to 2024, we have seen some blockbusters, including Novo Nordisk’s $16.5 billion purchase agreement for Catalent and the closing of Bristol Myers Squibb’s $4.8 billion acquisition of Mirati Therapeutics.

Neither UnitedHealth nor the hackers involved have commented on the alleged ransom payment, but a cryptocurrency tracing firm partially corroborated the claim on Monday.

Walgreens

The pharmacy chain is instead looking for ways to drive “the most value” for the business, CEO Timothy Wentworth said at a conference on Monday.
Bloomberg News reported in January that Walgreens was exploring a sale of the unit.

The company stated that it acquired the exclusive marketing rights for Europe for a new drug that is under regulatory review to treat a rare, potentially fatal heart disease for up to $310 million upfront.