Changes in Anthem’s Pathway Network Leave Some Ga. Patients Stranded

People who bought plans during the open enrollment last fall did not know that the insurer’s contract with WellStar Health System hospitals was set to expire at the end of February. Now they want to be able to buy new plans.

Georgia Health News: Unforeseen Cancer, Unexpected Bills: A Georgian’s Ordeal

Late last year, during Open Enrollment for 2019 insurance plans, the online information for consumers showed WellStar Health System hospitals and doctors as part of Anthem’s Pathway health plan. But enrollees say they didn’t realize during the sign-up period that the Anthem-WellStar contract for that plan was scheduled to end in February. That contract termination – and the ensuing furor over patients having to switch doctors and hospitals — led to recent litigation against Anthem, based in Indianapolis.

Changes in Anthem’s Pathway Network Leave Some Ga. Patients Battling For Care Options

Goldman still sees Alkermes ALKS 3831 ‘unlikely to be practice changing’

After Alkermes presented additional details on efficacy and safety, as well as the first look at the metabolic data from the Enlighten-2 trial and interim data from the ongoing extension study, Goldman Sachs analyst Terence Flynn continues to believe the company’s schizophrenia drug ALKS 3831 is “unlikely to be practice changing.” The analyst reiterates a Sell rating on the shares with a $27 price target. ALKS 3831 demonstrated a comparable metabolic profile relative to Zyprexa over the 24-week portion of the trial, Flynn tells investors in a research note. The analyst believes an outstanding question remains with respect to potential long term type 2 diabetes risk. It is unclear if the existing ALKS 3831 data will be enough to drive a differentiated label for the drug versus Zyprexa in this regard, which could have commercial implications, says the analyst.

https://thefly.com/landingPageNews.php?id=2892073

Biohaven Pharmaceutical said to be exploring sale

Bloomberg reports

https://thefly.com/landingPageNews.php?id=2892047

Bristol-Myers says 75% of holders voted for Celgene deal

Bloomberg reports

https://thefly.com/landingPageNews.php?id=2892020

Aceto receives court approval to sell Rising Pharmaceuticals to Shore Suven

ACETO Corporation announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to sell the assets of Rising Pharmaceuticals and Rising’s subsidiaries to Shore Suven Pharma for gross cash proceeds of $15M, plus the assumption of operating liabilities and customer obligations related to the acquired business, on a cash-free and debt-free basis. The sale was conducted through a Court-supervised process under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code. Under that process, Shore Suven Pharma’s purchase agreement served as the “stalking horse agreement” and an auction would have been conducted had the company received qualified offers from other bidders reflecting potentially higher and/or otherwise better terms. No such bids were received prior to the bid deadline. Therefore, no auction was conducted and Shore Suven Pharma was selected as the successful bidder of the Pharma Business on March 29, 2019. The transaction is expected to close on April 19, 2019, subject to the satisfaction of certain other conditions. As previously announced, Aceto has also entered into a “stalking horse agreement” to sell its chemicals business through a comparable Court-supervised process. To facilitate the sale of both Rising Pharmaceuticals and its chemicals business assets, Aceto and its U.S. subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey on February 19, 2019. The company expects to complete the disposition of its chemicals businesses before its fiscal year end on June 30, 2019.

https://thefly.com/landingPageNews.php?id=2892029

Altimmune To Present NasoVAX Phase 2 Data at World Vaccine Congress

Altimmune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALT), a clinical-stage immunotherapeutics company, today announced an oral presentation at the World Vaccine Congress being held in Washington D.C. on April 14-17, 2019. The presentation will take place on April 16, 2019 at the Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel at 12:55pm Eastern Time.

Dr. Sybil Tasker, Chief Medical Officer of Altimmune, will present data from the Companys Phase 2 study and the recently completed Phase 2 extension study for NasoVAX. The Phase 2 data showed that NasoVAX was well-tolerated and highly immunogenic, demonstrating 100% seroprotection at two of the three dose levels studied. Data from the extension study demonstrated that the immunogenic responses were durable with 100% of the evaluated subjects remaining seroprotected, and the seroconversion rate remained unchanged for more than one year after vaccination. Durable responses on the order of one year are not expected from current injected influenza vaccines and suggest that the immune response induced by NasoVAX could be protective for the duration of a long flu season.

“The data being presented clearly show NasoVAXs potential as a safe, effective, and durable flu vaccine,” said Vipin K. Garg, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Altimmune. NasoVAX delivers improved immunogenicity as a painless, needle-free, easily-administered intranasal vaccine and offers clear benefits over currently marketed flu vaccines. We believe in this programs commercial potential and are actively looking for a strategic partner to further develop and commercialize NasoVAX.

https://www.marketscreener.com/ALTIMMUNE-INC-46246544/news/Altimmune-To-Present-NasoVAX-Phase-2-Data-at-the-World-Vaccine-Congress-in-Washington-D-C-28397661/

Celgene Stockholders Approve Proposed Acquisition by Bristol-Myers

Celgene Corporation (NASDAQ: CELG) today announced that its stockholders have voted to approve the company’s proposed combination with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY). Approximately 98% of the votes cast, and over 70% of the shares outstanding and entitled to vote, voted in favor of the transaction at the special meeting.

“On behalf of the Celgene Board of Directors, I would like to thank our stockholders for their overwhelming support of this transaction,” said Mark Alles, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Celgene. “The combined company will create a leading focused specialty biopharma company well positioned to address the needs of patients with cancer, inflammatory and immunologic disease and cardiovascular disease through high-value innovative medicines and leading scientific capabilities. We are confident that together we can generate long-term, sustainable value for stockholders and superior solutions and choices for patients.”

Under the terms of the agreement, which was announced in January 2019, Celgene stockholders will receive 1.0 Bristol-Myers Squibb share and $50.00 in cash for each share of Celgene common stock. Celgene stockholders will also receive one tradeable Contingent Value Right (CVR) for each share of Celgene common stock, which will entitle the holder to receive a payment of $9.00 if certain future regulatory milestones are achieved.

Celgene expects the transaction to close in the third quarter of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. The final voting results for the company’s special meeting will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in a Form 8-K and will also be available at https://ir.celgene.com/investors, after certification by the company’s inspector of elections.

https://www.marketscreener.com/CELGENE-CORPORATION-8736/news/Celgene-Stockholders-Approve-Proposed-Acquisition-by-Bristol-Myers-Squibb-28397656/