A U.S. appeals court ruled Nov. 13 that Allergan's patents on its blockbuster eye drug Restasis are invalid, according to Bloomberg.  By Alia Paavola - 11/16/18

Pfizer launched a sharply discounted biosimilar of Epogen, a treatment for anemia produced by Amgen, and Procrit, produced by Johnson & Johnson, according to The Center for Biosimilars.  By Alia Paavola - 11/15/18

LogicStream Health, a process improvement and control software provider, launched an app to help hospital pharmacy teams quickly identify and control drug shortages.  By Alia Paavola - 11/15/18

As part of a U.S. restructuring effort, biopharmacutical company Sanofi will cut 160 jobs at its facility in Chattanooga, Tenn., according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.  By Alia Paavola - 11/15/18

Michigan's Medicaid program received approval from CMS to enter into value-based care arrangements with drugmakers, CMS administrator Seema Verma announced during a speech at a biopharma conference Nov. 14. The proposal grants the state's Medicaid program permission to pay for drugs based on their efficacy.  By Alia Paavola - 11/14/18

CMS Administrator Seema Verma discussed the Trump administration's drug-pricing initiatives in Medicare during a speech at the Biopharma Congress in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 14.  By Alia Paavola - 11/14/18

In a blow for the U.S. drugmaker, Pfizer lost a yearslong patent battle for its blockbuster pain drug Lyrica after the U.K. Supreme Court ruled against it Nov. 14, according to Reuters.  By Alia Paavola - 11/14/18

Drug companies have been using social media influencers to promote products, and for years Boston-based Wego Health has acted as the middleman, bringing pharmaceutical companies and influencers together, according to STAT.  By Harrison Cook - 11/13/18

How health systems can overcome barriers to entry to drive better outcomes  By Jerry Buller, Chief Pharmacy Officer at Trellis Rx - 11/13/18

AstraZeneca has sold U.S. rights to its treatment for infant lung infections to Swedish Orphan Biovitrum for $1.5 billion, the latest move by the drugmaker to trim its pipeline and refocus on priority drugs, according to Bloomberg.  By Alia Paavola - 11/13/18

Express Scripts Holding, a pharmacy benefit manager that negotiates drug prices for many health plans, will launch a formulary with lower list price drugs in an effort to reduce reliance on rebates and  rein in the out-of-pocket costs its clients' members pay.  By Alia Paavola - 11/13/18

Nestle's health science arm will pay $98 million to increase  its stake in Aimmune Therapeutics, which is preparing to submit an FDA filing for its peanut allergy treatment, Reuters reports.  By Alia Paavola - 11/13/18

The American Medical Association adopted a policy at its semiannual meeting Nov. 12 that will allow Americans to purchase medicine from Canada in person to fight escalating prescription drug prices in the U.S.  By Alia Paavola - 11/13/18

Walmart, Home Depot and other large U.S. employers are cracking down on drugmakers by offering their own programs to limit the amount patients spend on medication, Reuters reports.  By Alyssa Rege - 11/13/18

Walgreens is cutting thousands of dollars of bonuses for many store managers and other executives, sources familiar with the matter told the Chicago Tribune.  By Morgan Haefner - 11/12/18

In the U.S., patients spend more on hospital care and clinical services than they do on prescription drugs, yet pharmaceutical companies often pocket more of the money than in other parts of the industry, including most insurers and health systems. The third quarter of 2018 reveals this trend, with 14 drugmakers posting a profit above $1 billion.  By Alia Paavola - 11/12/18

Coherus BioSciences plans to price its biosimilar of Amgen's Neulasta, an infection-fighting treatment, at $4,175 per unit, according to Reuters. This is a 33 percent discount off the price of the brand name drug.  By Alia Paavola - 11/12/18

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, a Cambridge, Mass.-based drugmaker, will slash its workforce by 60 percent and end development of its lead cancer drug after disappointing clinical trial results, according to Endpoints News.  By Alia Paavola - 11/12/18

Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical is expected to gain European Union antitrust approval for its $62 billion acquisition of Shire, a London-based pharmaceutical company, according to Reuters.  By Alia Paavola - 11/12/18

At its semiannual policy meeting this month the American Medical Association will consider endorsing a proposal that will allow Americans to purchase medicine from Canada in person as a solution to lowering  prescription drug prices, according to a STAT news report.  By Alia Paavola - 11/8/18