STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about anxious Novartis investors, patent expirations for biologics, and more

Novartis investors are increasing scrutiny of the company's dealmaking strategy following setbacks in drug trials for acquisitions. The failure of muscle-wasting drug del-desiran in a recent study, the second major setback in two days, has raised concerns about the impact of Novartis' $12 billion Avidity acquisition and other deals on its pipeline.

Shares of Novartis fell 11% in a single day this week, erasing nearly $30 billion from its market value after the disappointing results. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, 90% of expensive biologics set to expire by 2034 have no lower-cost alternatives in development, potentially costing Americans nearly $200 billion in healthcare savings over the next decade.

With 118 popular biologic drugs losing patent protection, the association estimates this could have significant financial implications. Despite this, market uptake for newly launched biosimilars has declined in recent years, dampening excitement among drugmakers about developing them.