Look back at pharma news in week to May 18

US President Donald Trump at last revealed his ‘Blueprint for drug pricing’ which was not as bad as some in the investment community and pharma industry had expected. On the M&A and deal-making front, Eli Lilly announced a second acquisition within a matter of days, that of AurKa Pharma, while bluebird bio entered into a new agreement with Medigene for two additional TCR targets to take a lead in immuno-oncology. Research and regulatory news attracting attention last week included positive trial results for Eli Lilly’s neurological candidate galcanezumab in epsodic cluster headache, which is currently under Food and Drug Administration review for migraine, and the landmark US approval of Aimovig from Amgen and Novartis for migraine, a rival to Lilly’s candidate.

Trump drug pricing blueprint limited by current HHS authority

Following the announcement, Leering Research analyst Geoffrey Porges hosted a MEDACorp PULSE call with a Washington healthcare policy specialist on the initial reactions to US President Trump and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar’s  American Patients First Blueprint.