Merck announced it will acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals for $6.7 billion to gain access to a promising leukemia treatment. The deal represents Merck's effort to secure its next generation of blockbuster drugs.
FTC Settlement with CVS Over Insulin Pricing
- ▪The proposed settlement between the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and CVS Caremark is subject to review and approval by the FTC chair
- ▪Cigna's Express Scripts reached a final settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in February 2026 over allegations of artificially inflating insulin prices and impeding access
- ▪CVS Caremark is one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers in the U.S.
- ▪The U.S. Federal Trade Commission reached a proposed settlement with CVS Caremark over allegations CVS Caremark artificially inflated the price of insulin
FDA Warning to ImmunityBio Over Misleading Cancer Drug Claims
- ▪The U.S. Food and Drug Administration noted that ImmunityBio ads and podcast indicated patients treated with Anktiva would be cancer free, which was not supported by clinical studies
- ▪The U.S. Food and Drug Administration noted that ImmunityBio omitted the material fact that Anktiva must be used in combination with a vaccine
- ▪The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a March 13, 2026 warning letter to ImmunityBio for making false and misleading claims about Anktiva cancer treatment
- ▪ImmunityBio is primarily owned and controlled by Patrick Soon-Shiong
- ▪The U.S. Food and Drug Administration found that ImmunityBio television ads and a podcast suggested Anktiva was able to treat all cancers
- ▪Anktiva is marketed as a treatment for a type of bladder cancer
Novartis Lawsuit Over Patient Data Sharing with Tech Companies
- ▪The lawsuit claims Novartis intentionally configured tracking tools installed on its product websites to capture and transmit sensitive health information
- ▪A Vermont breast cancer patient sued Novartis for allegedly sharing her health information with Google and other companies without consent through hidden website tracking tools
- ▪The plaintiff visited a Novartis website in November 2024 to get information about Kisqali, her cancer medication, and apply for a savings card
- ▪The lead plaintiff filed the proposed class action lawsuit against Novartis in the US District Court for the District of New Jersey
Perspective of U.S. Federal Trade Commission
- ▪Pharmacy benefit managers artificially inflated insulin prices according to U.S. Federal Trade Commission allegations
- ▪Pharmacy benefit managers impeded patient access to insulin diabetes treatment according to U.S. Federal Trade Commission allegations
Perspective of U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- ▪ImmunityBio ads indicated patients treated with Anktiva would be cancer free without clinical study support according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration findings
- ▪ImmunityBio made false and misleading claims about Anktiva cancer treatment according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Perspective of Vermont breast cancer patient and proposed class
- ▪Novartis shared patient health information with Google and other companies without consent through hidden website tracking tools according to lawsuit allegations
Perspective of Merck
- ▪The Terns Pharmaceuticals acquisition represents Merck's effort to secure its next generation of blockbuster drugs
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