Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating, because that oh-too familiar routine of online meetings, phone calls, and deadlines has returned. But what can you do? The world, such as it is, keeps spinning. So to nudge it in a good direction, we are firing up the coffee kettle and brewing a cup of stimulation. Our choice today is the seasonal pumpkin spice. Please feel free to join us. And as always, here is a rundown of interesting developments to help you get started on your journey today. We hope all goes well and that you conquer the world. …
Moderna refused to hand over to China the core intellectual property behind the development of its Covid-19 vaccine, leading to a collapse in negotiations on its sale there, The Financial Times reports. During talks in 2020 and 2021, the company turned down a request to hand over the recipe for its vaccine due to commercial and safety concerns, although Moderna is still “eager” to sell the product to China. To date, China offered two routes for foreign Covid-19 vaccine makers: do a full tech transfer to a domestic company or establish a manufacturing facility in China with a local partner, while keeping control of the underlying technology. Moderna was pressed to take the former option.
Amylyx Pharmaceuticals sparked criticism with the $158,000 price tag for its newly approved ALS treatment, Pharmaphorum writes. The medication, called Relyvrio, is the third ALS treatment to win approval in the U.S., following Mitsubishi Tanabe’s Radicava at $170,000 per year and a generic drug. But David Rind, chief medical officer at the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, said Relyvrio should have been priced closer to the cost of production until there is clear proof about efficacy. ICER previously said a “fair” price for Relyvrio would be between $9,100 and $30,000 a year. Currently, the drug is priced about five times higher than the top of a value-based range.
This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers
Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and networking platform access.
Already have an account? Log in
Already have an account? Log in
About the Author Reprints
To submit a correction request, please visit our Contact Us page.
STAT encourages you to share your voice. We welcome your commentary, criticism, and expertise on our subscriber-only platform, STAT+ Connect