STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about pharma lobbying, a disappointing Novo clinical trial, and much more

STAT News · Feb 23, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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By Ed SilvermanFeb. 23, 2026 Pharmalot Columnist, Senior Writer Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating because that oh-too-familiar routine of meetings, deadlines, and the like has returned. Settling in may be a little more challenging for those of you who, like us, are confronting a blizzard. The Pharmalot castle this morning, in fact, resembles an igloo. This calls for firing up the tea kettle for a cuppa Earl Grey and a dollop of honey. Please feel free to join us. Meanwhile, here is the latest menu of tidbits. Hope your day is smashing and you conquer the world, or at least find a way to open your front door. … Pharmaceutical companies, seeing a wave of new risks and potential rewards in President Trump’s second term, are boosting their spending on lobbying firms with connections to the White House, STAT reports. Three firms — Checkmate Government Relations, Miller Strategies, and Ballard Partners — stand out. Each of the three, which were identified by lobbyists working for other firms as growing players in the space, saw a boom in business in the first year of Trump’s second term. Most of the 16 companies that have signed drug pricing deals with the White House have contracted with one of the firms. The firms drew a combined $11.7 million from pharmaceutical company clients in 2025, up from $2.2 million in 2024, according to OpenSecrets, which tracks lobbying disclosures. Merck is shaking up the leadership of its main pharmaceutical unit as the drugmaker braces for sales pressure later this decade, The Wall Street Journal reports. The company will split its human-health business into two divisions. One will house its cancer drugs, including the Keytruda blockbuster, which accounts for nearly half of total Merck sales but is due to lose U.S. patent protection in 2028, exposing it to lower-cost copycat competition. The second new division — the specialty, pharma, and infectious-diseases business unit — will sell non-cancer products, including the HPV vaccine Gardasil, diabetes drug Januvia, and newer products such as lung-disease treatment Winrevair. Merck is counting on this unit to generate big sales growth to offset the expected Keytruda sales decline. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts. Already have an account? Log in View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe