Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. Sadly, gray skies are hovering over the Pharmalot campus, but our spirits remain sunny, nonetheless. And why not? As the Morning Mayor suggested to us long ago, “Every day should be unwrapped like a precious gift.” While you tug on the ribbon, we will fire up the trusty kettle for a cuppa ginger honey. Of course, you are invited to join us. Remember, no prescription is required. This is strictly cash money. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest. Hope you have a meaningful and productive day and, of course, do stay in touch. …
The Trump administration has prepared an order to impose a 100% tariff on imports of patented medicines and their active ingredients, STAT writes. The tariffs could be announced as soon as Thursday, but the timeline or details could change. The order offers several options for drugmakers to avoid the tariffs, which will not apply to companies that have struck “most-favored nation” deals to sell drugs in the U.S. at similar prices to other wealthy countries, or to those negotiating such deals, until the end of Trump’s term in office. Companies that agree to move production to the U.S. will have their tariff rate cut to 20%, as long as the plan is approved by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human services, though the rate would rise back to 100% in 2030. The tariffs also will not apply to generic drugs, orphan drugs, fertility medications, plasma-derived therapies, gene or cell therapies, antibody drug conjugates, threat countermeasure medicines, or other specialty drugs as approved by the HHS secretary.
Eli Lilly’s obesity pill was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday, setting it up for fierce competition against Novo Nordisk’s new Wegovy pill as more people seek alternatives to GLP-1 injections, STAT tells us. Lilly’s drug, which is called orforglipron and will be marketed as Foundayo, was approved under the new FDA voucher program, which grants speedy reviews to drugs that are aligned with national health priorities. Investors are hoping that orforglipron will be a major growth catalyst for Lilly. The Wegovy pill, as an oral peptide that’s harder for the body to absorb, must be taken in the morning at least 30 minutes before any food or drinks other than water, restrictions that can be unappealing to many people. Orforglipron doesn’t carry any such restrictions.
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