Oct. 22 - Novo’s board shuffle, a Cuban-Trump drug pricing deal and 9 FDA voucher winners

Mark Cuban says Cost Plus Drugs will partner with TrumpRx; FDA awards 9 companies a new ‘national priority’ voucher to speed drug reviews; Alkermes expands sleep portfolio with acquisition worth up to $2.1B; Novartis confirms drug’s benefits in rare kidney disease as competitors loom

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Commercialization weekly

Oct. 22, 2025 | This week’s commercialization news and insights for biopharma leaders

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Novo’s main shareholder pushes out more than half of company’s board

The Novo Foundation chair said the current board of the Wegovy maker, which is already dealing with layoffs and a CEO change, was too slow to react to obesity market shifts.

Mark Cuban says Cost Plus Drugs will partner with TrumpRx

Cost Plus Drugs is sharing pricing data with TrumpRx, the administration’s new direct-to-consumer prescription drug website set to launch next year.

FDA awards 9 companies a new ‘national priority’ voucher to speed drug reviews

A gene therapy from Regeneron, a pancreatic cancer medicine from Revolution Medicines and a porphyria drug from Disc Medicine were among the first beneficiaries of a pilot program initiated in June.

TRENDLINE

The state of Alzheimer’s research

Alzheimer’s affects over 7 million Americans and economic costs are projected to reach nearly $1 trillion annually by 2050. Explore how top drugmakers are racing to capitalize on the therapeutic opportunity in this Trendline.

Alkermes expands sleep portfolio with acquisition worth up to $2.1B

Analysts called the proposed purchase of Avadel Pharmaceuticals a “clear” strategic fit for Alkermes, handing it an already marketed product for excessive daytime sleepiness.

Novartis confirms drug’s benefits in rare kidney disease as competitors loom

The findings position Fabhalta to secure a standard approval in IgA nephropathy — a crowded area of drug research — at a time when newer types of medicines are quickly advancing.

News roundup

AstraZeneca cuts US drug pricing deal; FDA declares Novo plant out of compliance

AstraZeneca followed the blueprint of a deal Pfizer recently cut with the White House. Elsewhere, Novo is shuttering its cell therapy division and an investor wants Novavax to sell itself.

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