Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the middle of the week. Congratulations on making it this far, and remember there are only a few more days until the weekend arrives. So keep plugging away. After all, what are the alternatives? While you ponder the possibilities, we invite you to join us for a delightful cuppa stimulation. Our choice today is pomegranate green tea. Feel free to join us. Meanwhile, here is the latest assortment of items to help you on your way. Have a wonderful day, and please do stay in touch. …
Moderna has agreed to pay Roivant up to $2.25 billion to settle claims that the mRNA vaccine developer infringed on Roivant’s patents in its Covid-19 shot, STAT writes. Roivant will receive $950 million and then another $1.3 billion if Moderna’s attempts to have parts of its liability offloaded to the federal government fail upon appeal. If the full amount is paid, it will be among the largest patent settlements in history. The settlement comes less than a week before the two companies were set to go to a jury trial in Delaware, where legal experts say Moderna may have faced an uphill battle. The deal provides a massive windfall for Roivant and two of its portfolio companies, which have not managed to turn lipid nanoparticles into drugs themselves, and avoids a worst-case scenario for Moderna. Once flush with cash, the company is now financially strapped.
As more states look to contain the cost of prescription drugs, Virginia lawmakers are pushing an affordability board that they believe will go further than similar efforts attempted by other states, STAT explains. At the heart of the approach is a plan to use Medicare as a benchmark. Rather than start from scratch to identify medicines that are considered expensive, each year the board would target the same drugs that have been chosen by Medicare for price negotiations. The board would also set upper payment limits to create a ceiling on what would be paid. By doing so, Virginia would leapfrog plans by other states that are at varying stages of establishing their own prescription drug affordability boards. Of the other nine states that have boards, none is eyeing all of the same drugs chosen annually by Medicare and only four have the authority to set upper payment limits.Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…