STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about an AstraZeneca setback, falling U.S. drug prices, and more

Good morning and welcome to another busy week. The weekend break was certainly refreshing, so it's back to the grind with meetings and deadlines. To stay energized, we turn to a morning pick-me-up. Now, let's dive into today's highlights.

AstraZeneca is cutting ties with a late-stage trial testing volrustomig combined with chemotherapy for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. This move comes after an independent data monitoring committee concluded the treatment was unlikely to meet its primary goals of slowing tumor growth or improving overall survival in patients lacking the PD-L1 protein. The company had been experiencing a series of setbacks, raising concerns about its drug pipeline.

On the bright side, AstraZeneca did announce positive results from two other late-stage lung cancer trials. Meanwhile, prescription drug prices experienced a significant decline in July, dropping by 0.8% and down 3.1% compared to last year. This is the steepest annual decrease in over half a century, and prices have remained stable throughout the year.

The White House is celebrating this drop, but the TrumpRx website likely only contributes a portion of the reduction. Notably, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have struck deals with the administration that lower cash prices for GLP-1 drugs and broaden Medicare access. Additionally, Medicare negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act began in January for 10 of the program's most expensive drugs, and adjustments in what Medicare pays pharmacies may affect the prescription drug CPI.