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Today's Rundown

Eli Lilly's Medicaid rebate payments under fire as whistleblower lawsuit heads to trial
Mayo Clinic posts $1.2B in profit for 2021 despite rise in labor expenses
2021's top 10 clinical trial flops
Zimmer Biomet completes spinoff of ZimVie spine, dental business
Gilead's HIV prospect lenacapavir hits FDA approval snag amid vial compatibility concerns
RedHill's 2nd try COVID pill staves off hospitalization in phase 2
Boston Scientific spotlights real-world safety data from its Watchman FLX heart plug implant
Moody's: Failure to close Change deal would diminish UnitedHealth's long-term growth
Epizyme trims workforce, pipeline for FDA-approved cancer drug Tazverik in cost-saving move
Quanterix links up with Eli Lilly for Alzheimer's blood biomarker testing collaboration
With sales sagging, Amarin sees progress on new Vascepa digital effort in the US
Ro doubles down on fertility with Dadi acquisition for at-home sperm testing
Researchers detail structure of C. diff’s protective armor, potentially opening path for drugs to break the stubborn layer

Featured Story

Eli Lilly's Medicaid rebate payments under fire as whistleblower lawsuit heads to trial

By Fraiser Kansteiner

U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber has shot down Lilly’s motion to end a 2014 whistleblower lawsuit, concluding that the Indianapolis-based pharma company previously misled the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) about the prices it charged distributors for its drugs.

Mayo Clinic posts $1.2B in profit for 2021 despite rise in labor expenses

By Robert King

Mayo Clinic weathered a spike in expenses in 2021 to post $1.2 billion in profits last year as outpatient and surgical volumes rebounded from 2020 declines.

2021's top 10 clinical trial flops

By Phil Taylor

Thousands of studies are registered each year in the U.S. alone, so there is always a vast array of disappointing results to choose from as we compile our top 10 clinical trial flops.

Zimmer Biomet completes spinoff of ZimVie spine, dental business

By Andrea Park

Just a little over a year after announcing a plan to spin off its spine and dental businesses, Zimmer Biomet has completed the separation, culminating in the creation of a standalone public company dubbed ZimVie.

Gilead's HIV prospect lenacapavir hits FDA approval snag amid vial compatibility concerns

By Fraiser Kansteiner

After a quality glitch scuppered multiple trials of an investigational HIV drug late last year, Gilead Sciences vowed to sort out the problem swiftly. Now, the drug also faces a hurdle on its path to approval.

RedHill's 2nd try COVID pill staves off hospitalization in phase 2

By Kyle LaHucik

RedHill Biopharma's COVID-19 pill kept all 41 patients out of the hospital, as compared to three of 20 patients in the placebo arm, and proved safe and tolerable.

Boston Scientific spotlights real-world safety data from its Watchman FLX heart plug implant

By Conor Hale

Last year saw the U.S. debut of a competing device from Abbott as well as an FDA missive saying the agency would be taking a closer look at the safety of these permanent implants.

Moody's: Failure to close Change deal would diminish UnitedHealth's long-term growth

By Heather Landi

If UnitedHealth Group's bid to acquire Change Healthcare is ultimately stopped by the Department of Justice, it would be credit positive for UnitedHealth because of the short-term beneficial effect on debt and leverage.

Epizyme trims workforce, pipeline for FDA-approved cancer drug Tazverik in cost-saving move

By Max Bayer

Epizyme is cutting 12% of its staff and ending two clinical studies, including mid- and early-stage combo trials for the FDA-approved cancer treatment Tazverik, in an effort to cut costs.

Quanterix links up with Eli Lilly for Alzheimer's blood biomarker testing collaboration

By Andrea Park

Amid its recent decision to pump the brakes on the FDA application for its experimental Alzheimer’s drug donanemab, Eli Lilly appears to be casting a wider net in its efforts to improve treatment of the neurodegenerative disease.

With sales sagging, Amarin sees progress on new Vascepa digital effort in the US

By Kevin Dunleavy

Amarin's revenues were down 5% in 2021 from the previous year. But the company is seeing progress in the United States with its new marketing strategy for Vascepa while working to launch the fish oil derivative around the world.

Ro doubles down on fertility with Dadi acquisition for at-home sperm testing

By Rebecca Torrence

Ro grabbed fertility company Dadi to offer at-home sperm testing and analysis kits, building on the digital health unicorn's suite of reproductive health offerings along with its $225 million acquisition of Modern Fertility last year.

Researchers detail structure of C. diff’s protective armor, potentially opening path for drugs to break the stubborn layer