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What We're Reading: BMS to Acquire Celgene; Science Advisor and Drug Czar Confirmed; Drug Price Hikes
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) announced that it will be acquiring Celgene for $74 billion; Congress has confirmed the Trump administration's nominees for science advisor and drug czar; and drugmakers kicked off 2019 with drug price hikes.
Bristol-Myers Squibb to Acquire Celgene
In a press release today, Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) announced that it will be acquiring Celgene. According to BMS, the $74 billion acquisition will allow the 2 companies to address the needs of patients with cancer, inflammatory and immunologic disease, and cardiovascular disease through high-value innovative medicines and leading scientific capabilities. The combined company will have 9 products with more than $1 billion in annual sales. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2019.
Trump Appoints Science Advisor, Drug Czar
On Wednesday, Congress confirmed the Trump administration’s nominees for science advisor and drug czar following 2 years of vacancy, reported STAT News. Appointed science advisor Kelvin Droegmeier is a meteorologist and former professor at the University of Oklahoma. The Senate also confirmed James Carroll to head the Office of National Drug Control Policy, providing the White House with a top drug advisor amid the national opioid epidemic.
Drug Price Hike Pace Is Slowing
While drugmakers entered the year with price increases on more than 250 prescription drugs, the pace of price hikes was slower than last year, according to Reuters. The overall number of price increases was down by around one-third from 2018, when drugmakers raised the prices on more than 400 drugs. AbbVie’s Humira and 50 Allergan drugs were among those that saw price increases. Amid the price hikes, President Trump during a meeting with his Cabinet on Wednesday said he expected to see a tremendous decrease in drug prices.
Elevated Inflammatory Marker Levels Associated With Increased Overactive Bladder Risk
April 15th 2025Systemic immune inflammation index, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and systemic inflammation response index levels may offer a noninvasive method to identify individuals at increased risk of developing overactive bladder.
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Personalized Care Key as Tirzepatide Use Expands Rapidly
April 15th 2025Using commercial insurance claims data and the US launch of tirzepatide as their dividing point, John Ostrominski, MD, Harvard Medical School, and his team studied trends in the use of both glucose-lowering and weight-lowering medications, comparing outcomes between adults with and without type 2 diabetes.
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SGLT2 Inhibitors Show Renal Benefits in HF and CKD as Prescribers Target Uptake Gaps
April 15th 2025Abstracts featured at the National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meeting highlighted the renoprotective benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors in heart failure and diabetic kidney disease while emphasizing the need for strategies to increase their uptake in primary care.
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