Incyte ($INCY) pulled the plug on several Jakafi studies as the blood cancer therapy proved less effective in solid tumors when used solo. The company still sees potential in the field with Jakafi cocktails, including combos that pair the med with immuno-oncology meds. Jakafi is marketed outside the U.S. by Novartis ($NVS), which brought in $410 million from the drug last year; Incyte's U.S. sales amounted to $601 million. More from FierceBiotech
@FiercePharma: Phibro disappoints as quarterly results reflect shift away from antibiotics. FierceAnimalHealth story | Follow @FiercePharma
@EricPFierce: FDA warning letter says data falsification rampant at IPCA. Some senior managers involved. FiercePharmaManufacturing article | Follow @EricPFierce
@CarlyHFierce: Novartis bolsters its home-turf advantage in psoriasis with Cosentyx DTC push. FiercePharmaMarketing story | Follow @CarlyHFierce
> President Obama's new budget includes proposals to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices and require drugmakers to disclose R&D and other costs, propositions that could save estimated $140 billion over 10 years. Report
> Merck & Co. ($MRK) is scouting for partners to make and sell more products in India, vaccines chief Patrick Bergstedt said during a trip to the country. Report
> European regulators accepted Novartis' ($NVS) approval application for its biosimilar version of Amgen's ($AMGN) Neulasta. Report
> Johnson & Johnson ($JNJ) has handed off its Memphis distribution center to FedEx's ($FDX) Genco unit, sending 122 of its 127 employees there to the new operation. Report
> AstraZeneca ($AZN) has set a growth goal in Africa of 10% and is signing deals with governments to help improve healthcare services and capacity. Report
> Hikma Pharmaceuticals saw its shares dive after it cut its offer price for Roxane Laboratories by more than $500 million; due diligence had found that Roxane's 2015 revenue would be lower than previously expected. Report
Medical Device News
@FierceMedDev: ICYMI yesterday: Israeli upstart raises $15M for U.S. pivotal trial of bioresorbable cartilage implant. Article | Follow @FierceMedDev
@EmilyWFierce: In this week's Dx Digest, $ILMN strikes a new sequencing deal and the Obama admin. calls for more Zika testing. More | Follow @EmilyWFierce
> Health system UPMC leads $17M financing for mental health wellness services app. Story
> Walgreens threatens to cancel its alliance with Theranos. Article
Biotech News
@FierceBiotech: ICYMI: Just how well do you think biopharma is handling the gender diversity issue? - interesting comments coming in. Article | Follow @FierceBiotech
@JohnCFierce: Two more IPOs out. It's like the Great Escape: AveXis and Proteostasis survive the market storm, raise $145M for R&D. Story | Follow @JohnCFierce
@DamianFierce: No better illustration of the monstrousness of capitalism than the fact that we're all at work on a Kanye album release day. | Follow @DamianFierce
> JAK inhibition for solid tumors flops, forcing Incyte to pull the plug on a slate of trials. Report
> With an eye on growing the pipeline, Szela axes staffers in Aegerion reorg. Article
> FierceBiotech Radio on pharma's day on the Hill, biotech's paucity of M&A, and the gathering storm of biosimilars. Listen/Subscribe
CRO News
> Catalent posts flat revenue as currency woes bite into growth. Article
> Genomics England picks Icon as its first CRO partner. Report
> Quintiles bets on a big 2016 as revenue rolls in. More
> Recipharm commits $45M to counteract fake drugs. Story
> CRO Pharmaron acquires U.K.-based Quotient Bioresearch. Article
Pharma Manufacturing News
> Recipharm puts up $45M to enhance track-and-trace capabilities. Report
> Regulator suspends Spanish drugmaker over 'critical quality defects.' News
> Qualicaps gets Latin American foothold with acquisition of Brazil's Genix. More
> Regulator suspends Spanish drugmaker over 'critical quality defects.' Story
> Catalent France plant that was victim of sabotage getting back online. Article
Pharma Asia News
> FDA maintains tight grip on Indian and Chinese products. Report
> China drug safety improving, CFDA says. Item
> Sanofi banks on Philippines to lead public Dengvaxia rollout. More
> Japan's Sumitomo Dainippon ready for U.S. acquisitions. Story
> Chugai Alecensa PhIII trial halted early as patients show significant improvement. Article
And Finally... Danish and American diplomats visited Novo Nordisk's expanding biologic drugs facility in West Lebanon, NH. Report