Biotechnology
Judge strikes down Obamacare coverage of preventive care for cancers, diabetes, HIV and other conditions
A consultant analyzing a mammogram. Rui Vieira | PA Wire | Getty Images A federal judge on Thursday struck down an Obamacare mandate that required most private health insurance plans to cover preventive care such as certain cancer screenings and HIV prevention drugs. These services included screenings for breast, cervical and lung cancers; tests for […]
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Illumina urges shareholders to reject Carl Icahn’s board nominees as proxy fight heats up
Rafael Henrique | Lightrocket | Getty Images Illumina on Thursday urged shareholders to reject Carl Icahn’s three board nominees at this year’s annual meeting, saying they would “threaten the progress” of the biotech company’s core business. “Carl Icahn’s involvement with Illumina risks the long-term success of the Company, and his director nominees bring no relevant […]
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Dueling court cases in Washington state and Texas could determine legality of abortion pill
Two federal judges are poised to issue rulings soon in dueling cases that could dramatically impact access to the abortion pill mifepristone. In Washington state, U.S. Judge Thomas Rice is weighing whether to scrap federal regulations on mifepristone that complicate access even where abortion is legal. He is also considering whether to issue an order […]
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People taking obesity drugs Ozempic and Wegovy gain weight once they stop medication
This photograph taken on February 23, 2023, in Paris, shows the anti-diabetic medication “Ozempic” (semaglutide) made by Danish pharmaceutical company “Novo Nordisk”. Joel Saget | AFP | Getty Images Patients taking blockbuster obesity drugs Ozempic or Wegovy will pack the pounds back on after they stop taking the medications. “I think this is what we […]
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J&J backs out of RSV vaccine race with rivals Pfizer and GSK
A Johnson & Johnson building is shown in Irvine, California. Mike Blake | Reuters Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday said it’s ducking out of the RSV vaccine race, weeks after competitors Pfizer and GSK inched closer to launching the world’s first shot against the deadly virus. J&J will stop working on its investigational RSV adult […]
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Carl Icahn wants to bring back Illumina’s ex-CEO ‘immediately’ as proxy fight intensifies
Carl Icahn speaking at Delivering Alpha in New York on Sept. 13, 2016. David A. Grogan | CNBC Carl Icahn on Wednesday said Illumina should bring back its former CEO “immediately,” his latest move in a brewing proxy fight with the biotech company. Icahn said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the […]
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FDA approves over-the-counter sales of lifesaving opioid overdose treatment Narcan nasal spray
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved sales without a prescription of the nasal spray Narcan to reverse opioid overdoses, a decision that promises to significantly expand access to the lifesaving treatment. The FDA’s decision means people will be able to buy the 4 milligram nasal spray in supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations, vending […]
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U.S. baby formula supply is still vulnerable, former FDA official tells lawmakers
Frank Yiannas, former deputy commissioner of the office of food policy and response at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), speaks during a House Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee hearing in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. Ting Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images The U.S. supply of infant formula industry is still vulnerable to […]
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Labcorp to pay $2.1 million to settle DOJ lawsuit for allegedly overbilling Defense Department
Laboratory Corporation of America will pay the U.S. $2.1 million to settle allegations that it overbilled the Department of Defense for genetic tests that involved children and fetuses, the Justice Department announced Monday. A former LabCorp employee turned whistleblower, Donna Hecker-Gross, sued the diagnostic testing company in 2018 on behalf of the federal government under […]
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BioNTech shares slip on gloomy Covid vaccine sales outlook
Vials containing the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are displayed before being used at a mobile vaccine clinic, in Valparaiso, Chile, January 3, 2022. Rodrigo Garrido | Reuters Shares of BioNTech on Monday slid by more than 6% in morning trading after the German drugmaker shared a gloomy 2023 sales outlook for its […]
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