Novo Nordisk reprimanded, Roche suspends cancer research and more

In an unfolding saga in the healthcare sector, Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk has been reprimanded by UK regulators for failing to disclose fees and expenses worth around £7.8m. The disclosures, spanning 2020-2022, related to more than 150 different entities, including fees to healthcare professionals and sponsorships of healthcare organisations.

Meanwhile, in a significant setback, Roche has decided to end a lung-cancer study for a new immunotherapy, tiragolumab. The study, called SKYSCRAPER-06, failed to show any advantage over Merck & Co.’s existing treatment Keytruda, raising questions about Roche’s drug candidate.

In addition, the new UK health secretary, Wes Streeting, has announced plans to hold talks with junior doctors next week in a bid to resolve the ongoing strike, amid industrial action by the British Medical Association, which represents 50,000 junior doctors.

Studies have raised concerns about Novo Nordisk’s popular weight-loss drug Wegovy and its diabetes drug Ozempic, showing a potential link to sight-threatening eye disease. Yet patients taking these GLP-1 drugs showed a lower risk of certain cancers compared with those taking insulin.

(Disclaimer: Based on information obtained from the agency.)