Plus, CVS puts BMS, Pfizer’s Eliquis back on formulary
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Today's Rundown

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Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade 6-3, ending constitutional protections for abortion

"With Roe gone, let’s be very clear: The health and life of women in this nation are now at risk.” President Joe Biden said in remarks following the release of the Supreme Court's decision.

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Top Stories

Beta-vax: Sanofi, GSK hail phase 3 omicron win to throw down gauntlet in COVID-19 vaccine format war

After lagging the leaders in the original COVID-19 vaccine race, Sanofi and GSK have now claimed a first in the push to protect people from omicron. The partners hailed the first successful efficacy study against omicron after their beta-specific vaccine achieved 72% protection versus the now-dominant variant.

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CVS re-adds BMS, Pfizer's Eliquis to formulary after tough negotiations, patient pushback

After a wave of criticism and tough pricing negotiations, CVS Health has changed course and is returning BMS and Pfizer's Eliquis to its preferred formulary on July 1.

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Novo Nordisk, Echosens aim to double NASH diagnostic rate by expanding test options, awareness

Through their partnership, Echosens and Novo Nordisk will work together to bulk up the clinical and real-world evidence to back up Echosens’ FibroScan system as a valid option for NASH diagnosis and monitoring. In doing so, they’re aiming to vastly increase worldwide adoption of noninvasive screening methods for the disease from Echosens and other developers.

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M&A is down, but Big Pharma likely to line up 'multiple shots on goal' in 2nd half, PwC says

Deal values are down by 58% and volume has decreased by 33%, but fear not, the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry is poised for a “flurry of deals” in the second half, according to PwC.

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BioMarin's hemophilia gene therapy Roctavian wins conditional EU backing amid FDA delay

The future of BioMarin’s first-of-its-kind hemophilia gene therapy remains uncertain at the FDA, but its EU regulatory path now looks clearer. Despite questions about the one-time drug's long-term efficacy, the EMA has recommended a conditional nod.

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CMS approves first-ever public option plan for Colorado's ACA exchange

HHS approved a waiver for Colorado to create its own public option plan to be sold on the Affordable Care Act's exchanges.

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Lilly and Boehringer's Jardiance poised for challenge to AZ's market leader Farxiga in chronic kidney disease: Spherix

Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim made news last spring with the early halt of a trial testing its SGLT2 inhibitor Jardiance for chronic kidney disease thanks to “clear positive efficacy,” and HCPs are taking notice, setting it up for a potential challenge to AstraZeneca’s market leader Farxiga, a new analysis suggests.

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Elucid clears $27M funding for heart disease diagnostic AI

No, it’s not a dream—Boston-based startup Elucid has closed its largest fundraising session yet, a funding round that more than triples the $8 million series A it unveiled around this time last year.

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Acquisition in the air? Merck and Seagen to meet this week: WSJ

In the ongoing saga of whether Merck will acquire formidable biotech Seagen, the companies have scheduled a meeting this week, sources told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday. Others are eyeing the Seattle firm, people have told the WSJ, but none of those companies have been identified.

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Galapagos says out with the old, in with the new, as respiratory drug sent back to Molecure

While Galapagos is stocking its pipeline by way of two acquisitions, the biotech is also cleaning house, sending the rights for a respiratory disease drug back to Molecure.

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Digital health startup Ro cuts 18% of workforce citing current economic climate

Digital health startup Ro, which hit a $7 billion valuation back in February, is laying off 18% of its workforce amid a market downturn.

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Sarepta defuses concerns about Duchenne clinical hold with vow to meet FDA's request within days

Sarepta Therapeutics has successfully defused concerns about a FDA clinical hold on one of its Duchenne muscular dystrophy clinical trials. After initially plunging, the biotech’s share price stabilized when it reassured investors it could satisfy the regulator’s requests “in the next few days” and convinced analysts of the likelihood of a speedy resolution.

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Roche continues to salute the diversity of the MS community with latest work

“Community” is tossed around as a buzzword for many drugs and many disease states, but the patients on Roche Genentech’s Ocrevus have taken their community so far as to have their own hand signal.

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Fujifilm picks up AI program for guiding IVF procedures

Fujifilm has licensed a program developed by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital designed to boost the procedure’s success.

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