• California: According to new data from Gilead, a new formulation of the company's HIV drug lenacapavir could be used to prevent HIV invention with just one shot every year. In a study published in The Lancet, researchers injected two groups of 20 volunteers with two different proposed formulations of lenacapavir. After taking regular blood samples from the participants, the researchers compared the levels of lenacapavir from volunteers to patients who had participated in trials of six-month versions of the drug. Overall, the researchers found that volunteers who received the new formulations had higher levels of the drug in their bloodstream for 56 weeks than volunteers who had received the injections once every six months — findings that suggest the new formulations should provide equal protection. "The results are extremely promising," said Jonathan Li, director of the Harvard University Center for AIDS Research Clinical Core. "The current lenacapavir twice-yearly formulation is poised to change HIV prevention as we know it and decreasing the dosing to yearly will only improve adherence." According to Jared Baeten, Gilead's SVP of clinical development and virology, the company is currently reviewing the study data to choose the most optimal formulation and dose of the drug. Gilead is also planning a Phase 3 trial of the yearly version of lenacapavir but has so far not determined what the study will look like. (Mast, STAT+ [subscription required], 3/11)
• Connecticut/Illinois: Last week, HCSC closed a $3.3 billion deal to purchase Cigna's Medicare operations. Through the deal, HCSC's Medicare Advantage membership quadrupled to around 800,000. The company also gained Cigna's Medicare Part D and Medicare supplement assets, as well as the CareAllies consulting unit. "This transaction is fully aligned with our mission of expanding access to quality healthcare by adding capabilities and deepening our geographic presence across the United States," said HCSC president and CEO Maurice Smith. Separately, Cigna CEO David Cordani said that the company is "proud of the positive impact we have made in people's lives" through its Medicare businesses and remains "committed to serving Medicare populations through the portfolio of products and services we offer through Evernorth Health Services." In January 2024, when the HCSC-Cigna deal was originally announced, Cigna said that Evernorth would provide pharmacy benefits to its former Medicare properties for four years. (Berryman, Modern Healthcare, 3/19)
• Pennsylvania: Merck is currently planning layoffs as part of a multiyear plan to close a manufacturing facility in Riverside, Pennsylvania. A total of 163 jobs will be cut through three rounds of layoffs, with the first scheduled to occur in May. The second round is expected to take effect in late June through July, and the last round is set for some time next year. "Separations related to this closure will begin in May 2025, and we are committed to assisting and supporting employees at the site through this transition and providing separation benefits," a company spokesperson said. According to Becker's Hospital Review, Merck has been winding down operations at this facility since 2022. However, the company has emphasized that it has a continued commitment to the state. Currently, Merck has invested over $3 billion in manufacturing operations in Pennsylvania and employs around 14,000 people in the state. (Murphy, Becker's Hospital Review, 3/18; Becker, Fierce Pharma, 3/17)

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