STAT

The 2024 #STATSummit is underway! This year, we have our own newspaper to celebrate the 5th anniversary of our flagship event. Follow along on all our channels for live updates and news.

“Some of the soundbite health care policy proposals that candidates bring up for short-term political impact could in practice have consequences,” writes Genentech executive Fritz Bittenbender in First Opinion. https://trib.al/1Dx9zQ7

A coalition of unions, consumer groups and public interest organizations urged the FTC to challenge a $16.5 billion deal in which Novo Nordisk’s parent foundation would acquire Catalent. The coalition said in a letter sent to the FTC Thursday that the deal could reduce access to GLP-1s, and harm competition in development of cell and gene therapies. https://trib.al/wDYIVja

Opinion: Differing philosophies within and outside of government could doom the FDA’s new Rare Disease Innovation Hub. https://trib.al/DP6Xf7d

Is it time to freak out about bird flu? Ongoing transmission in cattle means that every day in this country, a virus that is genetically suited to infecting wild birds is being given the opportunity to morph into one that can easily infect mammals. One of these spins of the genetic roulette wheel could result in a version of #H5N1 that has a skill that is very much not in our interest to have it gain — the capacity to spread from person to person like seasonal flu viruses do, writes Helen Branswell. The answer to the question above is not comforting. https://trib.al/08eb7l7

Mark Cuban has no doubt he can disrupt health care. He joined the First Opinion Podcast to discuss PBMs, the 2024 presidential campaign, and Cost Plus Drugs. Listen here: https://trib.al/HIs8c17

“Good intentions without good policy are only good intentions,” Bayer Pharmaceuticals COO and U.S. President Sebastian Guth writes about the 2024 election. https://trib.al/2O7jVt6

As Election Day 2024 gets closer, STAT’s First Opinion asked executives from leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies to reflect on how their industry is being portrayed in the presidential campaign. “Unfortunately, many of our elected leaders today undervalue the role of patents to progress the science of drug discovery and look for policies to weaken them,” writes Eli Lilly’s Daniel M. Skovronsky. https://trib.al/ECYa6zH

#News CVS Health has replaced Karen Lynch with David Joyner as CEO, part of an attempt to turn the struggling company around. “The board believes this is the right time to make a change, and we are confident that David is the right person to lead our company for the benefit of all stakeholders, including customers, employees, patients, and shareholders,” Roger Farah, the company’s executive chairman, said in a statement. https://trib.al/W62z3Gk

New data released by Merck suggests AstraZeneca and Sanofi’s Beyfortus, the monoclonal antibody injection that protects infants against RSV, may have competition, potentially as early as next fall. More news in The Readout newsletter includes... ?? Alnylam CEO Yvonne Greenstreet talks about advancing vutrisiran. ?? Why are biotech investors so interested in autoimmune disease? ?? Genentech wants the big picture approach to drug costs. Read here: https://trib.al/sOCCQow