Pharmalittle: How did a fugitive working in biotech escape scrutiny?
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 not-so-appetizing possibilities, we invite you to join us for a needed cuppa stimulation. Our choice today is green tea with ginger. 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. …
When one of Rhode Island’s most-wanted fugitives was discovered last week to have been secretly working under an alias in the biotech industry, the reaction among many was shock, STAT says. How did he evade scrutiny for two decades? And how did the companies that hired him — at least one biotech on a full-time basis and at least two large drugmakers on a contractual basis — not vet him more thoroughly? But to an industry recruiter who spoke with Richard Graydon — the alias used by Ronald Fischer, a former doctor who was convicted of sexual assault and had spent two decades on the run — it wasn’t all that surprising. His stellar academic credentials, board certification, and years of experience leading teams that successfully developed cancer drugs made him an ideal candidate for top jobs. Much of his CV appears to have been fabricated, but it checked the right boxes.
A New Hampshire hospital is challenging a new Eli Lilly policy that requires certain hospitals to submit claims data when dispensing the company’s drugs under the federal 340B drug discount program, Bloomberg Law writes. The lawsuit filed by Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital alleges Lilly’s requirement imposes an illegal policy with “non-negotiable terms” and “retaliatory pricing penalties in order to extract commercially valuable data.” The hospital said it refused to comply with the company’s demands, which were announced in February. Earlier this month, Lilly began terminating discounts to dozens of hospitals.
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