'Enormous' impact from FDA's new breakthrough program, execs say

Johnson & Johnson ($JNJ) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals ($VRTX) gave the thumbs-up to FDA's new breakthrough drug program, designed to speed development of promising therapies. "This has had enormous impact," a J&J exec said at a Washington, D.C., briefing. The breakthrough designation helped put a J&J and Pharmacyclics ($PCYC) blood cancer drug, ibrutinib, two years ahead of schedule, they said. Report