Here are the latest stories being discussed in biopharma today:

Novo Nordisk tracks future of $16.5B Catalent deal

Novo Nordisk has opted for a buy-build approach for its weight loss drugs. The Danish company said it will spend $11 billion to purchase three manufacturing plants from Catalent, as part of a larger $16.5 billion deal with Novo Holdings. The investment arm of Novo’s parent group has agreed to acquire contract manufacturer Catalent and take it private. The move is part of a strategy to ensure sufficient manufacturing capabilities for its weight loss drug Wegovy and diabetes therapy Ozempic.

FDA to modernize drug surveillance using AI

The FDA plans to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to upgrade its post-market drug surveillance process, dealing with more than two million annual reports of adverse events. The agency will utilize its AI-based decision support tool, Information Visualization Platform, to handle the data. The digitization process, including deployment of deduplication algorithms, will help automate management of the adverse event reports data.

Antitrust lawsuit against Eli Lilly, Sanofi dismissed

A federal judge in New York has dismissed an antitrust lawsuit filed against Eli Lilly and Sanofi, which alleged the companies conspired to limit discounts on insulin from 2020. The lawsuit from Mosaic Health and Central Virginia Health Services claimed that the drug manufacturers broke laws by suddenly and in tandem, agreeing to restrict drug discounts through the federal 340B program.

Harvard study accuses weight loss drugmakers of “patent thicket”

Researchers at Harvard University have claimed that manufacturers of GLP-1 weight loss drugs have been aggressively using complex “patent thickets” to protect their products. The study reviewed the FDA’s Orange Book records to identify dozens of patent protections unrelated to the active drug product.

Astellas cuts sales expectations for menopause drug, Veozah

Astellas has drastically reduced its Veozah sales forecast for fiscal 2023, blaming sluggish uptake. The company, which is preparing a Super Bowl ad campaign for the menopausal hot-flash treatment, initially anticipated earning 53 billion yen ($375 million) but now expects around 7.1 billion yen ($50 million).

American Bar Association challenges court restrictions on abortion pill

The American Bar Association (ABA) has approached the Supreme Court arguing that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals was ill-equipped to tighten regulations around Mifeprex, a commonly used abortion pill. Tightening the regulations, according to ABA, would undermine patient trust and general confidence in the judicial system.