Good morning, one and all. Damian here, filling in for Ed Silverman once more. Here as always is a smattering of items to get your day started. And do let us know if you hear anything interesting out there. …
Senate Democrats conceded to passing a crucial Food and Drug Administration funding bill without any extra policy reforms attached, STAT tells us. This follows months of negotiation in which Democrats tried to add provisions on how drugs are approved, the agency’s authority over dietary supplements, and the review of generics, all thwarted by Republican leaders who wanted a so-called “clean” reauthorization.
Biogen finalized a $900 million kickback settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, and nearly $250 million of that will go to the former employee who blew the whistle, Bloomberg reports. Michael Bawduniak, a former Biogen employee, claimed in a lawsuit that the company violated federal law by swaying health care professionals with speaker fees, consulting agreements, and free meals before pressing them to prescribe the company’s treatments for multiple sclerosis. Biogen, which disclosed the settlement in July, said in a statement that it believes its conduct was always lawful and appropriate.
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