TrumpRx Set to Launch as Cash-Pay Drug Portal, Drawing Praise and Scrutin
Summary:
The Trump administration is launching TrumpRx, a government-run website that directs patients to cash-pay channels offering discounted prescription drugs, backed by pricing commitments from major drugmakers like Pfizer. While the portal aims to lower costs for uninsured and cash-paying patients, critics argue its impact will be limited for most Americans and have raised legal and antitrust concerns over whether it meaningfully addresses U.S. drug pricing.
FDA Unveils PreCheck Manufacturing Program as Mixed Fortunes Hit Drug Developers
Summary:
The FDA launched its new “PreCheck” program to speed and de-risk the approval of U.S. drug manufacturing facilities aligned with national priorities, while also rejecting AstraZeneca’s bid to approve a subcutaneous version of its lupus drug Saphnelo but advancing its breast cancer drug Datroway with a priority review. Elsewhere, Acadia’s Rett syndrome drug trofinetide faces a likely setback in Europe despite approvals elsewhere, as MeiraGTx moves forward with an AI-driven gene therapy partnership targeting age-related eye disease.
Veradermics IPO Doubles on Debut as Investors Bet on Oral Hair-Loss Drug
Summary:
Veradermics raised $256 million in an upsized IPO, pricing shares at $17 and seeing them more than double to $37.75 on their first day of trading, signaling strong investor appetite for hair regrowth therapies. The biotech is advancing an oral, extended-release version of minoxidil into phase 3 trials, aiming to improve on messy topical treatments like Rogaine as competition and biotech IPO activity heat up in early 2026.
Lilly Outpaces Wall Street as GLP-1 Boom Powers Record Growth
Summary:
Eli Lilly shares surged after the company beat fourth-quarter expectations and raised its outlook, driven by soaring demand for its GLP-1 drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro, whose combined 2025 sales topped $36 billion. Strong forecasts contrast sharply with rival Novo Nordisk’s weaker guidance, underscoring Lilly’s growing dominance in the weight-loss and diabetes market.
Trump Funding Bill Revives Telehealth and Hospital-at-Home, Tightens PBM Rules
Summary:
President Donald Trump signed a stopgap funding bill ending a brief government shutdown and reinstating Medicare telehealth flexibilities through 2027, while extending the Acute Hospital Care at Home program through 2030. The package also enacts pharmacy benefit manager reforms, delays Medicaid safety-net hospital cuts, and advances site-neutral payments, marking a significant healthcare policy win despite ongoing debate over its impact on drug prices.
