Novo Nordisk hosted its post-Q1 ’19 earnings event in London. The session included a brief presentation from management followed by Q&A. Below, FENIX provides highlights and insights from the call.
Novo Nordisk hosted its Q1 ’19 earnings call (press release) and provided updates to its diabetes business including the recent oral semaglutide and Ozempic regulatory filings. Of note, Novo reported topline results from the Tresiba vs. Toujeo H2H trial. Below, FENIX provides highlights and insights from the call including thoughts on how the Tresiba vs. Toujeo H2H trial may impact the basal insulin market.
Lilly hosted its Q1 ’19 earnings call and provided updates to its diabetes business. Of note, Lilly disclosed that it submitted REWIND (US and EU), URLi (EU, Japan, and maybe the US), a connected prefilled pen (US), and the empa+lina+metXR triple combination (US). Furthermore, Lilly also disclosed two regulatory delays. FDA refused to accept the sNDA for Jardiance in T1DM for “technical reasons,” and the review for Lilly’s nasal glucagon rescue product was extended by 3 months after FDA requested additional data. Below, FENIX provides thoughts and context to the significant Q1 ’19 regulatory events in diabetes.
Biocon hosted its CY Q1 ’19 (FY Q4 ’19) earnings call and briefly discussed its biosimilar insulin program including bs-glargine and bs-aspart. Below, FENIX provides highlights and insights from the call.
Sanofi hosted its Q1 ’19 earnings call but only briefly discussed its diabetes business including the recent sotagliflozin T1DM CRL. Below, FENIX provides highlights and insights from the call.
Sanofi announced that it has increased the benefits to its Valyou insulin savings program to now offer up to 10 boxes of SoloStar insulin pens and/or 10 vials of 10mL insulin for $99 per month. Previously each 10 mL vial was $99 and each box of SoloStar pens was $149. According to the press release, the program covers all Sanofi insulins (Lantus, Toujeo, Admelog, and Apidra) but not Soliqua. The program will become available starting in June 2019. Below, FENIX provides brief thoughts on the program in the context of the ongoing drug pricing debate.
Today, the Senate Finance Committee held its third hearing on drug pricing titled “Drug Pricing in America: A Prescription for Change, Part III” which focused particularly on the role of PBMs. As predicted, the PBMs largely tried to deflect attention back onto pharmaceutical manufacturers. Key themes from the hearing include: 1) PBMs blame outdated MPD legislation, PBMs do not set list prices, and PBMs do not want to provide as much transparency as manufacturers do. Below, FENIX provides highlights and insights from the hearing.
Sanofi is reportedly set to lay off an undisclosed number of diabetes US sales reps starting in June 2019. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on the new layoffs in the context of increasing US pricing pressures on Sanofi’s insulin franchise as well as the recent sotagliflozin CRL.
Cigna and Express Scripts announced a new insulin “Patient Assurance Program” that will cap the out-of-pocket cost for a 30-day insulin supply to $25 for eligible patients on participating plans (Cigna purchased ESI in December 2018). Of note, the new savings program was announced ~1 week ahead of the third Senate Finance Committee hearing on drug pricing which is scheduled for April 9, 2019, at 10:15 AM ET. The third installment, titled “Drug Pricing in America: A Prescription for Change, Part III,” will focus specifically on the role of PBMs. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on the Cigna/ESI insulin savings program as an obvious strategy to redirect the focus away from themselves and back onto insulin manufacturers.
Adocia released its Q4 ’18 earnings results, but did not have an associated webcast. Below, FENIX provides highlights from the earnings press release including 2019 pipeline activities, and thoughts on how Adocia could enter the US and EU markets.