Recon: GSK Commercial Reboot; EC Clears Bayer Acquisition of Monsanto

• Novartis Sales Reps Will Testify About Lavish Meals, U.S. Says (Bloomberg) (STAT-$)
• GlaxoSmithKline prescribes commercial reboot for pharma division (Reuters) (Endpoints) (Fierce) (pharmaphorum)
• AbbVie chief racks up $22.6M in 2017 pay, complete with $600K in personal jet use (Fierce)
• Prothena, Celgene ink neuro R&D pact potentially worth $2B+ (Fierce) (Endpoints) (Fierce)
• Falling behind giant migraine drug rivals, Alder ousts founder Randy Schatzman — could a buyout be next? (Endpoints) (Fierce) (Xconomy)
• Celgene goes all-out on neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s, triggering blockbuster deal with $150M in cash for Prothena (Endpoints) (BioWorld)
• Drug prices are still going through the roof (Axios)
• FDA In Brief: FDA updates public information about known risk of lymphoma from breast implants (FDA)
• Amazon's secretive health team talking with AARP about making products for older people (CNBC)
• AstraZeneca owes $192M in royalties from massive Merck deal, selumetinib licensor Array argues (Fierce) (Law360-$)
• NYC’s biotech scene gets cash and office space with Beacon’s new incubator (Endpoints) (Fierce)
• FDA expands lymphoma indications for Seattle Genetics’ Adcetris (pharmaceutical-technology) (Endpoints) (MedPage Today) (Reuters)
• Walgreens settles overcharging claims with Massachusetts for $5.5M (Chicago Tribune) (Law360-$) (Boston Business Journal-$)

• U.K. Lifts National Health Service Pay Cap, Ending Austerity (Bloomberg) (BBC News)
• Indian medical device industry decry draft policy (The Hindu)
• China's Aim to Remove Cancer Drug Taxes May Boost Pfizer, Glaxo (Bloomberg) (Fierce)
• NICE rejects rare eye disease therapy (pharmaphorum) (PharmaTimes)
• NHS and digital health firms must improve cybersecurity – report (pharmaphorum) (PMLiVE)
• Shakeup at China FDA after chief vaults to the helm of a regulatory umbrella group, new agency head named (Endpoints)
• Another mega-startup: China investors back TCR2’s $125M cash round to fuel a preclinical assault on solid tumors (Endpoints) (Fierce)
• Shortchanging global health now will cost us later (STAT)
• Europe's GDPR privacy law is coming: Here's what US health orgs need to know (HealthcareITNews)
• Council of Europe concerned with Trump's death penalty plan (ABC News)
• WHO Director-General calls for health to be used as a bridge for peace between Israel and Palestine (WHO)
• Pharma payments to docs in Europe are often inadequately reported or hard to find (STAT-$)
• Asia a key battleground in fight against killer air pollution: U.N. (Reuters)
• The global quest to eliminate tuberculosis by 2030 hinges on India’s success (Quartz)
• Brazil to vaccinate entire country against yellow fever (AP News)
• Mergers: Commission clears Bayer's acquisition of Monsanto, subject to conditions (EC)

• Johnson and Johnson CFO Dominic Caruso to retire in September, to be replaced by Joseph Wolk (CNBC)
• FCB Health launches stand-alone agency for pharma and healthcare branding (Fierce)
• A doctor speaks, a biotech stock tanks. What happened at this invite-only health care investor conference? (STAT-$)
• Rocked by short attack, Proteostasis withdraws stock offering (Fierce)
• NIH says dozens of drug makers interested in partnering to develop drugs to address opioid epidemic (STAT-$)
• Janssen’s New Transparency Report: A Peek Behind the Drug Pricing Curtain Raises Troubling Questions About Rebates (Drug Channels)
• Trump admin keeping drug price info under wraps (CNN)
• Therapeutic Area Standards Initiative Summary Report for the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) FY2013 - FY2017 (FDA)
• 2018 Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Science Symposium (FDA)

• ‘That’s $425,000 right there’ — the anxious launch of a gene therapy with a record sticker price (STAT)
• Ocugen preps dry eye disease drug for phase 3 (Fierce)
• New FDA transparency push begins with J&J's Erleada (BioPharma Dive)
• Eylea positive in diabetic retinopathy, but analysts skeptical (BioPharma Dive)
• Sun Pharma Announces U.S. FDA Approval of ILUMYA (tildrakizumab-asmn) for the Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis (Press)
• The Use of Methadone for Pain by Medicaid Patients (The Pew Charitable Trusts)
• Horizon Discovery’s Bioproduction Cell Line Used as Part of a Successful Drug (IND) Filing (Press)
• Symbiotix Biotherapies Announces License Agreement with Harvard University (Press)
• Teligent, Inc. Announces FDA Approval of Halobetasol Propionate Ointment, 0.05% (Press)

• Corporates pump yet more venture cash into medtech (EP Vantage)
• Boston Scientific lays out $406m for NxThera (MassDevice) (Press)
• UnitedHealth Group Gets Pushback On Bid To Exit ERISA Suit (Law360-$)
• This Woman Won National Geographic's 'Chasing Genius' Contest For A Remote Physical Therapy App (Forbes)
• VA Secretary Shulkin taps UPMC exec to lead agency's open API project (HealthcareITNews)
• Boston Scientific touts safety, effectiveness in Rhythmia mapping system study (MassDevice) (Press)
• Bard wins 3DMax hernia mesh appeal (MassDevice)
• Cantel Medical picks up healthcare software dev Aexis Medical for $25m (MassDevice) (Press)
• Mass General, Brigham and Women’s launch digital pathology project with Royal Philips (HealthcareITNews)
• Enigma Biomedical Group and Yale Sign Memorandum of Understanding to License Novel Investigational Synaptic Density Imaging Biomarker Technology (Press)

• Cigna CEO on Express Scripts deal: More than a pharmacy acquisition, 'this is a broadening of capabilities' (CNBC)
• Why Trump’s opioid plan falls short (STAT)
• Trump’s Bluster on the Opioid Epidemic (NYT)
• After Illinois Primary, Public Option Takes Shape For November Elections (Forbes)
• Mississippi's new law restricting abortion blocked by judge for 10 days (Reuters)
• More Sharing Of Opioid Sales Data Possible, DEA Chief Says (Law360-$)
• Medicaid Rule Can't Govern Radioactive Drugs, Suit Says (Law360-$)
• Trump’s Health Chief Wants to Change How Doctors Do Business (Bloomberg)
• U.S. high court skeptical toward California law on anti-abortion centers (Reuters)
• AHIMA calls on Congress to fight opioids with information sharing, patient matching (HealthcareITNews)
• “Right to Try” Is Merely “Thoughts and Prayers” for the Terminally Ill (Slate)
• A GOP Right-To-Try Fumble (WSJ)
• Azar Says He Is Not Aware Of Discussions On Blocking ‘Silver-Loading’ In 2019 (InsideHealthPolicy)
• Omnibus Bill in Sight After ‘Big Four’ Meet to Iron Out Kink (s (Roll Call)
• DEA ripped for failing to stop drug firms from flooding WV with painkillers (Charleston-GazetteMail)
• New HHS secretary: Opioid addiction is not a moral failing and should be treated as a medical condition (CNBC)

• FDA Advisory Committee Calendar
• March 21-22, 2018 Blood Products Advisory Committee (BPAC) Inclement Weather Advisory Guidance (FDA)

• EMA recommendation on hydroxyethyl starch solutions obscured controversy (The BMJ)
• Shortage of Arixtra (EMA)
• Developing healthcare innovations: apply for business funding (MHRA)
• UK’s pharma and biotech support new Health and Social Care Committee report into Brexit (EPM Magazine)
• In Europe, 14 people die each day from unsafe water, sanitation, and poor hygiene (Quartz)

• Inovio Pharma, Apollo Bio ink deal for cervical cancer drug (BioSpectrum)
• Oxford Performance Materials Receives Japanese Accreditation of Foreign Medical Device Manufacturer (Press)
• E-health apps help meet Southeast Asia’s healthcare needs (The ASEAN Post)
• South Sudan Stops Spread of Guinea Worm Disease (AP News)

• India’s Ambitious Health Care Protection Scheme Gets Cabinet Nod (Bloomberg)
• Genetic disorders to hike health insurance premiums? (Times of India)
• IT Minister wants ‘Made in India’ MRI machine to be ready by end-2019 (The Hindu)
• Ending TB in India by 2025 is ambitious, not impossible (Hindustan Times)
• Abbott India gets aggressive on new product launches, plans 110 in 5 years (Business Standard)

• Half of Australians with private health insurance say it isn’t worth it (The New Daily)
• New South Wales woman is sixth to die in rockmelon listeria outbreak (The Guardian)

• Cronos Group finishes the day up 11 percent after announcing MedMen partnership (CNBC)
• Canada’s health-care system more restrictive (The Nelson Daily)
• Veritas Pharma Completes the 100% Takeover of Cannevert Therapeutics (Press)
• Cipher Pharmaceuticals and Cardiome Pharma Announce Strategic Transaction for Canadian Business Portfolio of Cardiome (Press)

• Birth control pill for men shows promise in early study (USA Today)
• Doctors endorse counseling of some kids, young adults to prevent skin cancer (Reuters)
• Guns tied to high suicide risk for teens with self-harm history (Reuters)
• NIH To Investigate Outreach to Alcohol Companies (NYT)