• California: Novartis has agreed to acquire Regulus Therapeutics in a deal worth up to $1.7 billion. Through the merger, Novartis aims to increase patient access to farabursen, a kidney disease treatment developed by Regulus. Novartis plans to initiate a tender offer to acquire all of Regulus' shares for $7 apiece, along with an untradable contingent value right for another $7 a share that will be payable once Regulus hits a certain regulatory approval milestone for farabursen. Once the deal is complete, a subsidiary of Novartis will merge with Regulus. According to the companies, the deal is expected to close in the second half of the year. (Hamilton, Wall Street Journal, 4/30)
• California/New Jersey: Hims & Hers and Novo Nordisk are partnering to provide access to Novo's GLP-1 weight-loss drug Wegovy. Through the partnership, patients will be able to access Novo's NovoCare Pharmacy direct-to-patient offering of Wegovy through the Hims & Hers platform. In addition to the partnership with Hims, Novo said that it plans to offer a similar service through the telehealth companies Ro and LifeMD. Novo plans to sell Wegovy for a reduced cost of $499 a month for self-paying patients, but those who receive it through telehealth companies will have to pay an additional subscription fee. For example, Hims said its members can access Novo's service and Wegovy without insurance for $599 per month. Previously, Hims had also announced that it planned to make Eli Lilly's GLP-1 drug Zepbound available for patients. However, Lilly said that it was not affiliated with the companies and that there were cheaper ways for patients to access the drug. (Turner, Modern Healthcare, 4/29)
• Pennsylvania: On Monday, Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy a second time after facing continued financial difficulties. The company first filed for bankruptcy in October 2023 and finalized the Chapter 11 process in September 2024 after reducing its debt by $2 billion and securing $2.5 billion in funds to continue its operations. Neil Saunders, managing director of the data analytics company GlobalData, said he was not surprised by Rite Aid's second bankruptcy. "The first bankruptcy did little to resolve the chain's issues, and it has been teetering on the edge of survival for quite some time," Saunders said. Currently, Rite Aid is looking for a buyer and is in "active discussions" with multiple prospects. As the company navigates a second bankruptcy, CEO Matt Schroeder said that "our key priorities are ensuring uninterrupted pharmacy services for our customers and preserving jobs for as many associates as possible." (Ziegler, Washington Post, 5/5; Valinksy, CNN, 5/5)

Host Rachel Woods invites healthcare strategy expert Colin Gelbaugh and pharmacy expert Gina Lohr to discuss disruptors and the growing competition in the healthcare industry.