Pandemic Delaying Launches Of New Drugs
- July 02, 2020
Reuters (7/1, O'Donnell, Mishra) reports, “Treatments for peanut allergy and Parkinson’s disease are among U.S. drug launches that have been postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic as drugmakers struggle with disruptions to business, a Reuters review of filings and interviews with executives show,” and more drugs “may be delayed as authorities battle to control a pandemic that has already claimed more than 125,000 U.S. lives.” Eli Lilly “and rival Pfizer have moved forward with launches of recently approved cancer drug Retevmo (selpercatinib) and heart disease treatment Vyandeqel (tafamidis), respectively, the only available treatments for two rare and potentially deadly conditions.” However, “delays altogether could cost companies over a quarter of the originally estimated more than $1 billion in 2020 sales for the products approved by the FDA since January, according to a Reuters estimate.”