Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating, because the familiar routine of online meetings and deadlines has returned. Moreover, today marks the start of the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference — the Woodstock-like gathering of biopharma execs and dealmakers — which always suggests, if not delivers, a bevy of activity. And STAT has a bunch of things lined up. So strap yourself in and grab a cup of stimulation. Our choice today is cinnamon hazelnut, for those tracking this sort of thing. Meanwhile. here is the latest menu of tidbits for you to peruse. Hope you have a smashing day, and do stay in touch. …
Some health care experts and doctors worry that an Eli Lilly plan to offer its Zepbound weight-loss drug directly may make it easier than ever for pharmaceutical companies to target patients with their products, regardless of whether the medicine is the right treatment for a particular individual, The New York Times explains. LillyDirect will connect people with an independent telehealth company that prescribes obesity medications, as well as third-party services that can fill prescriptions and send them directly to a patient. The American College of Physicians “is concerned by the development of websites that enable patients to order prescription medications directly from the drugmaker.”
The Indian government is now requiring pharmaceutical companies to adhere to new manufacturing standards in response to concerns over the quality and safety of drugs, The Economic Times reports. The move comes in the wake of overseas deaths linked to Indian-made drugs since 2022, prompting increased scrutiny of the $50 billion pharmaceutical industry. Small manufacturers, however, have asked for a delay, citing their debt load. Under the revised guidelines, pharmaceutical companies will have to notify authorities about recalls and also report product defects, deterioration, or faulty production. Previously, there was no requirement to inform authorities about a recall.
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