The most popular FiercePharma stories of 2015

Gilead warns of fatal reaction to Sovaldi, Harvoni and heart drug
Gilead Sciences' superselling hepatitis C drugs have hit a speed bump after 9 patients taking either Harvoni or Sovaldi, as well as a common drug for heart arrhythmias, had serious reactions. One of the 9 had a heart attack and died. Three others had to receive pacemakers. The FDA said on Friday it approved an update to the label warning of serious symptomatic bradycardia when the drugs are coadministered with amiodarone. More

CVS isn't stopping with PCSK9 discount demands. It wants concessions from ACC/AHA, too
CVS Health has no intention of shelling out more than it has to on the new PCSK9 drugs. It's been saying so for more than a year--and now, it has taken a double-barreled shot at the next-gen cholesterol fighters. Following up on a gloomy Journal of the American Medical Association report last year, CVS execs have published a new manifesto, calling on the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association to revamp their cholesterol-treatment guidelines. More

Hep C drug tourism has begun as patients seek Harvoni, Sovaldi overseas
When Gilead Sciences struck its hepatitis C supply deal with Indian generics makers, the terms were tight, with provisions designed to keep the knockoff pills in countries where Gilead allows cut-rate pricing. Some state health systems overseas require patients to show IDs to get their meds and present empty pill bottles for refills. More

Deal buzz: Forget Pfizer. Traders bet GSK as a match for J&J, Roche
Another week, another rumor about the target on GlaxoSmithKline's back. This time, U.K. traders were talking up a different potential takeover--not by Pfizer, but by Johnson & Johnson or Roche. As the Daily Mail reports, dealers were speculating about a 1900 pence-per-share bid from either Big Pharma company, which would value GSK at more than £92 billion ($143 billion). More

Novartis CEO eyes more cost cuts to satisfy margin demands
Novartis execs are rolling up their sleeves for another round of cost cuts. "Very significant" cost cuts, CEO Joe Jimenez tells the Financial Times, partly from the company's ongoing overhaul in back-office operations--and partly from its sale-and-swap with GlaxoSmithKline, which closed last week. Jimenez didn't say just how he plans to squeeze out costs and boost profit margins now that the GSK deal is done. More