• Louisiana/New York: Margaret Daley Carpenter, a doctor in New York, has been indicted by a grand jury in Louisiana for prescribing abortion medication through telehealth for a patient in the state. Last year, Louisiana passed a law reclassifying two drugs used in medication abortion, mifepristone and misoprostol, as Schedule IV controlled substances. "It is illegal to send abortion pills into this State and it's illegal to coerce another into having an abortion,” said Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill (R). "I have said it before and I will say it again: We will hold individuals accountable for breaking the law." According to The Hill, this may be the first time criminal charges have been issued against a physician for prescribing and sending abortion medication to a patient living in a state that they don't practice in. It will also be the first test of New York's shield law, which was designed to protect providers from out-of-state investigations and prosecutions for sending abortion medications to patients living in areas with strict restrictions. (O'Connell-Domenech, The Hill, 1/31)
• Maryland: FDA has approved Journavx, a new nonopioid painkiller from Vertex Pharmaceuticals, making it the first novel pain medication to receive FDA approval in over 20 years. According to Vertex, Journavx could be an effective nonaddictive alternative to opioids. Instead of acting directly on the brain like other painkillers, the drug intercepts pain signals before they reach the spinal cord. "Today's approval is a historic milestone for the 80 million people in America who are prescribed a medicine for moderate-to-severe acute pain each year," said Vertex CEO Reshma Kewalramani, adding that there is an "opportunity to change the paradigm of acute pain management and establish a new standard of care." Currently, Journavx is approved to treat acute, short-term pain, but Vertex is running clinical trials to potentially expand its use to chronic pain. (Gilbert/Roubein, Washington Post, 1/30)
• New York: Teladoc Health has announced plans to acquire home diagnostic company Catapult Health for $65 million. According to Teladoc, it will use Catapult's technology to support its existing products. Catapult's clinicians will also be able to enroll eligible members directly into Teladoc's programs, as well as refer patients to the company's mental health and primary care providers. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter, with the final price potentially increasing by up to $5 million due to additional contingent earnouts. According to STAT+, the Catapult acquisition is the first major deal from Teladoc since Chuck Divita became CEO of the company last year. In the third quarter of 2024, Teladoc reported mixed results from its health plan, employer, and provider business segments. (Turner, Modern Healthcare, 2/5; Aguilar, STAT+ [subscription required], 2/5)

As the healthcare industry faces new challenges and dynamics, pharma and biotech companies must evolve their strategies to stay competitive. Learn about the six trends shaping pharmaceutical strategies, from navigating legislative changes to addressing stakeholder concerns, and get insights and recommendations to drive meaningful industry change.