Merck to Acquire Terns Pharmaceuticals for $6.7 Billion
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.
Story comments
Loading comments…