Obamacare Persists, FDA Approves, Vertex Wows & More
Summary
YES, NO, FEES, AND HIRES —The FDA approved neratinib (Nerlynx) as an adjuvant therapy—to prevent recurrence of breast cancer in patients who have had treatment with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and surgery.The Los Angeles-based Puma Biotechnology (NASDAQ: PBYI) drug got a green light despite questions about the size of its benefit compared to placebo, as well as a side effect of severe diarrhea.— Radius Health (NASDAQ: RDUS) hired Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) veteran Jesper Hoiland as CEO, to lead efforts to commercialize the Waltham, MA, biotech’s osteoporosis drug abaloparatide.—Nektar Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NKTR) of San Francisco said its opioid NKTR-181, designed to enter the brain more slowly, did not provide as fast or strong a high as oxycodone in a study among people who were self-described recreational drug users.—Too late for last week’s roundup: Akcea Therapeutics (NASDAQ: AKCA) raised $125 million in its IPO, but the Cambridge biotech had to price its shares well below the planned range.