Look back at pharma news to Mar 17

Barbara Obstoj-Cardwell. Editor

Among the  political news last week, perhaps the most controversial of which was US President Donald Trump’s  budget blueprint – a wish list of spending priorities for legislators to consider, which included a proposal to double the use fee charge that drugmakers pay to get their products through the regulatory process and a much criticized 20% cut in the budget for the National Institutes of Health.

Also big on the news agenda was one of the biggest stake holders in Valeant Pharmaceuticals International pulling out at a substantial loss; anther approval for Merck & Co’s Keytruda; the first approval for Novartis’ CDK4/6 inhibitor Kisqali; Strong Repatha trial results that still disappointed; and better-than-expected new data on AstraZeneca’s Lynparza.