STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Mark Cuban eyeing rare disease drugs, a ketamine gold rush, and more

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the middle of the week. Congratulations on making it this far, and remember there are only a few more days until the weekend arrives. So keep plugging away. After all, what are the alternatives? While you ponder the possibilities, we invite you to join us for a needed cuppa stimulation. Our choice today is honeybush vanilla turmeric. Meanwhile, here is the latest menu of tidbits to help you on your way. We hope you conquer the world and have a wonderful day. And as always, please do stay in touch. We appreciate feedback, tips, and criticism. … Mark Cuban has a new vision for his company Cost Plus Drugs: shake up the business of custom-made rare disease medicines, STAT explains. This is a bold swing for a company that started out buying generic drugs and — while sidestepping pharmacy benefit managers — reselling them at a 15% markup. But Cuban and chief executive officer Alex Oshmyansky say their plant has the ability to quickly pivot between small batches of different drugs that could be useful for making experimental treatments for individuals or tiny groups of patients. Tucked away in the green foothills of the Austrian Alps, the last fully integrated European penicillin plant faces an uncertain future, because China is churning out the same antibiotics and ingredients as the Sandoz factory in Kundl, Austria, at much lower cost for the European market, Reuters explains. The falling prices are a boon for cost-conscious European ​governments and their public health care programs but an existential threat to the Kundl site — the only one making penicillin from start to finish in Europe, including key active ingredients. Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

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