Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. And given that this is the middle of the week, it may be a challenging one, too. But there is always the bright side to consider — the end of the week is now that much closer. Besides, the alternatives to being busy are not terribly attractive. While you mull that over, we will fire up the trusty coffee kettle so we may enjoy another cup of stimulation. Our choice today is the seasonal pumpkin spice. Please feel free to join us. And now, here are some items of interest to keep you focused. Hope you have a smashing day and, of course, do keep in touch. …
In an unexpected move, Bausch Health recently stopped participating in Medicaid and a federal government drug discount scheme known as 340B, a step that suggests more drugmakers may rethink whether to provide their medicines to these widely used programs, STAT writes. Bausch disclosed its decision in a brief statement on its website but did not offer an explanation. A spokeswoman said the company “remains fully committed” to patients who are prescribed its medicines and to compensate a patient assistance program was “enhanced” with zero out-of-pocket costs for covered medicines and free home delivery. The change, which went into effect on Oct. 1, comes as the pharmaceutical industry is under increased pressure from the Trump administration to lower prices and is confronting various changes that affect the calculus used to set its pricing. This is especially true when it comes to Medicaid.
Eli Lilly announced a partnership with chipmaker NVIDIA to build what it claims will be the “most powerful supercomputer owned and operated by a pharmaceutical company,” STAT notes. Lilly’s technology investment is meant to help the drugmaker tap into the potential of artificial intelligence for drug discovery by allowing it to identify new molecules and to speed up the typical years-long development timelines. The company will use some of the computing power for additional projects in clinical trials, manufacturing, and quality assurance processes. Lilly also plans to use computer vision to help do quality control and can use NVIDIA robotics technology for the robotics on its production lines. The supercomputer will be housed in an existing data center in Indianapolis, where Lilly is headquartered.
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STAT Pharma: The science and business of new drug development
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