Recon: Novo follows Lilly in slashing US insulin prices; FDA staff signal support for Pfizer’s COVID drug in high-risk patients

• Novo Nordisk to slash US insulin prices, following move by Eli Lilly (Reuters) (STAT) (NYTimes)
• Amgen is sued for concealing $10.7 billion tax bill from investors (Reuters) (Bloomberg)
• Pfizer's COVID drug data supports use in high-risk patients - FDA staff (Reuters)
• With positive combo meningococcal vaccine data, GSK eyes US approval (Reuters)
• US sues Rite Aid for missing opioid red flags (Reuters) (DoJ)
• US VA to cover Eisai, Biogen Alzheimer's treatment Leqembi (Reuters) (STAT)
• McKinsey Consulted VA While Advising Opioid Makers to Target Agency for Sales (WSJ)

• Novartis Starts Sale of Some Ophthalmology Assets (Bloomberg)
• Pholcodine cough medicines withdrawn in UK over allergy fears (The Guardian) (MHRA)
• China pharma: sector that tested world takes test of its own (FT)
• Merck asks EMA to reevaluate rejected Covid-19 antiviral (Endpoints)

• U.S. FDA places Mersana's cancer drug trial on hold following death (Reuters)
• National Academies calls for transforming use of racial and ethnic labels in genetics research (STAT)
• Amylyx’s ALS drug launch starts strong. That could be trouble for the FDA (STAT) (BioPharmaDive)
• FDA, CMS And Accelerated Approval: Flipping The Script (Pink Sheet)
• US FDA Open To Cell Therapy ‘Assessment Aid’ That Could Speed Development Of Next-Gen Cancer Drugs (Pink Sheet)
• Switch Therapeutics launches with $52M to capitalize on RNA medicine ‘era’ (BioPharmaDive)
• Further shuffling at Leo Pharma as dermatology drugmaker splits R&D (Endpoints)
• Servier says its next IDH inhibitor has passed PhIII, but no regulatory timeline yet (Endpoints)
• Bristol Myers passes on two Exscientia oncology candidates, but biotech to move them into clinic next year (Endpoints)
• Exercise in a pill? That's the focus of Cambrian's new pipeline company (Endpoints)
• Celltrion teams up with another Korean biopharma in antibody discovery deal (Endpoints)

• Illumina has been ignoring its investors, but it can’t ignore Carl Icahn (STAT)
• Philips poaches new connected care business leader from Pear (MedtechDive)
• PerkinElmer completes $2.45B spinoff to create new diagnostics, life sciences company (Fierce)
• Insulet tapped to replace SVB on S&P 500 index after bank collapse (Fierce)
• Baxter Warns Of Low Blood Oxygen Levels From Portable Breathing Device (MedtechInsight)
• UK’s NHS Launches AI Regulation Service Specifically For Medtech Firms (MedtechInsight)
• Joint replacement business likely to be busy for the next year or more: BTIG analysts (MedtechDive)
• Philips finds new head of recall-laden connected care segment in Pear Therapeutics exec (Fierce)

• Texas judge sets hearing in case seeking to ban abortion pill nationwide (Reuters)
• Recent Trends In Multiple First Generic Drug Filings (Law360)
• Sun Pharma, Taro Pharmaceutical reach $75M settlement agreement in alleged price fixing scheme (Endpoints)
• CVS Can't Escape FCA Suit Alleging Drugmaker Collusion (Law360)