Pharma Pulse 3/25/25: Identifying Affordability Issues with Predictive Analytics, Novo Nordisk Extends Lowered Wegovy Price to Retail Pharmacies & more

Proactively Identifying & Addressing Affordability Issues with Predictive Analytics

Kimberley Chiang, vice president of biopharma commercial solutions at CoverMyMeds, discusses how the industry leverages data and technology to identify and address affordability issues before they become a barrier to patient access.

Novo Nordisk Extends Lowered Wegovy Price to Retail Pharmacies

Wegovy is also available through NovoCare Pharmacy, which directly ship all dose strengths at a cost of $499 per month for cash-paying patients.

AI-Powered Databases Boost the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Process

Researchers studying Alzheimer’s disease are using artificial intelligence-powered databases to accelerate the drug discovery process by making it easier to sift through vast amounts of biomedical data.

Dr. Mike Graham Appointed as New Head of R&D for Bayer’s Crop Science Division

Bayer announced that Dr. Mike Graham will become the new Head of Research & Development for Bayer’s Crop Science division and serve as member of the Leadership Team. He will succeed Dr. Robert Reiter who has decided to retire after 27 years with the company and 34 years in the industry. In his current role, Graham is leading the company’s Plant Breeding organization and has profound expertise in R&D and agriculture. The change will become effective as of April 15, 2025.

Jason C. Foster on LinkedIn

We shouldn’t confuse robotics and automation. These are two distinct things that have different application and priority in the context of CGT manufacturing. First, we must address the current bottlenecks by optimizing/eliminating/ automating various unit operations and only then does it make sense to add robotics. A robot arm moving a bag or flask around a traditional process isn't going to solve the industry's throughput, COGS and quality challenges because of the limitations of the underlying tools.

Ori Biotech’s validated COGS Model clearly demonstrates the bottleneck the IRO Platform addresses around activation, transduction and expansion contributes ~50% to COGS while QA&QC contributes another ~30%. Manual movement of fluids from one step to the next only adds ~10%, which means it is certainly something to be addressed but not the first priority. At Ori, we use this model to help our partners uncover what specifically is driving the costs/limitations in their process and how to address them most efficiently.

Thanks to Pharmaceutical Commerce for highlighting the important issues around #celltherapy manufacturing that need to be addressed as a priority for us to open up access for patients. Link in the comments.

TLDR: Automation first and robotics second might just save us after all.

#cellandgenetherapy #biotechnology #manufacturingbrighterfuturestogether

Have news you want us to share in Pharma Pulse? Reach out to Editor Miranda Schmalfuhs