Quick on the heels of backing from a key European committee, GlaxoSmithKline ($GSK) is gearing up to launch Strimvelis, a breakthrough gene therapy for children. To lay that groundwork, the drugmaker is opening the door to radical changes in payments for the ultrapricey med to keep its cost from breaking the bank. More from FiercePharma
> Pfizer ($PFE) scored positive results for its PCSK9 inhibitor bococizumab in another late-stage trial; the company is racking up data to compete with Sanofi ($SNY) and Regeneron's ($REGN) Praluent and Amgen's ($AMGN) Repatha if bococizumab is approved. Release
> GlaxoSmithKline ($GSK) said it would stop filing for patents in poor countries and would work to license its meds to generics makers in lower-middle-income nations as a way to open access to its drugs. Release
> Novo Nordisk's ($NVO) diabetes and obesity med liraglutide--approved as Victoza and Saxenda, respectively--may reduce the brain's reward response to high-fat, high-calorie foods, a new study found. Report
> Drugmakers are lobbying against a proposal in Los Angeles County that would require companies to fund take-back programs designed to keep unused meds out of water supplies. Report
> India nixed Novartis' ($NVS) application for a patent on its triple-combo hypertension treatment, which marries its first-in-class renin inhibitor, Tekturna, with two standard treatments, amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide. Report
And Finally... The number of certified nurse practitioners has risen 35% over the past 5 years, creating a sizable base of new prescribers. Report