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Received — 8 April 2026 ⏭

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STAT+: Merck’s experimental HIV prevention pill could be made for less than $5 a year, researchers say Ed Silverman
An experimental HIV prevention pill being developed by Merck could be mass produced for less than $5 per patient a year according to a new analysis. Advocates argue the low cost means the company should find it easier to license the drug so that low- and middle-income countries can gain easy access. The pill, dubbed MK 8527, is currently undergoing a pair of late-stage clinical trials that are expected to determine whether the medicine can lower HIV transmission when given to people at high r
7 April 2026 at 18:00

STAT+: Merck’s experimental HIV prevention pill could be made for less than $5 a year, researchers say

STAT

7 April 2026 at 18:00

An experimental HIV prevention pill being developed by Merck could be mass produced for less than $5 per patient a year according to a new analysis. Advocates argue the low cost means the company should find it easier to license the drug so that low- and middle-income countries can gain easy access.

The pill, dubbed MK 8527, is currently undergoing a pair of late-stage clinical trials that are expected to determine whether the medicine can lower HIV transmission when given to people at high risk of infection. The results are due in the latter half of 2027, according to separate postings on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Already, the pill is generating considerable interest after Merck released mid-stage results last summer showing its drug holds promise. In addition to being safe and effective, the study found it could protect against infection, a form of prevention known as pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP, within 24 hours after being taken. Merck noted the pill works in a novel way.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

STAT
STAT+: Pharma companies and patient groups seek to exempt orphan drugs from Colorado pricing limits Ed Silverman
For the second time in two years, a bill is moving through the Colorado legislature that would exempt orphan drugs, which are used to treat rare diseases, from pricing caps that might be pursued by the state’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board — a panel whose work is being closely watched elsewhere in the country. The effort reflects concerns that patients may lose access to these drugs if pharmaceutical companies halt sales of such treatments in the state. But opponents argue exemptions
7 April 2026 at 04:11

STAT+: Pharma companies and patient groups seek to exempt orphan drugs from Colorado pricing limits

STAT

By: Ed Silverman

7 April 2026 at 04:11

For the second time in two years, a bill is moving through the Colorado legislature that would exempt orphan drugs, which are used to treat rare diseases, from pricing caps that might be pursued by the state’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board — a panel whose work is being closely watched elsewhere in the country.

The effort reflects concerns that patients may lose access to these drugs if pharmaceutical companies halt sales of such treatments in the state. But opponents argue exemptions would unnecessarily extend to numerous big-selling medicines for common conditions that — thanks to regulatory endorsements — also happen to have an orphan designation.

As a result, consumer advocates complain the maneuver would only increase the risk that countless patients could have trouble paying for a wide variety of medicines. They further argue that the legislation would preserve profits for drug companies at the expense of the state government — and its taxpayers — as it tries to cope with budgetary strains.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…