• Maryland: FDA has sent around 100 warning letters to several major pharmaceutical companies, ordering them to stop or change advertisements that the government considers misleading. According to STAT, the letters are part of a federal effort to crack down on misleading direct-to-consumer drug advertisements. The letters were sent to major drugmakers like Eli Lilly and Novartis and to telehealth companies like Hims & Hers. According to STAT, the warning letters largely targeted telehealth companies selling compounded versions of FDA-approved brand drugs, particularly GLP-1 medications. Although some industry experts have said they are glad to see FDA taking more aggressive action against misleading drug advertisements, others have questioned whether FDA has the resources to enforce the consequences of the campaign. (Lawrence, STAT+ [subscription required], 9/9; Lawrence/Silverman, STAT+ [subscription required], 9/17)
• North Carolina: Labcorp has acquired BioReference Health's oncology diagnostic testing assets for up to $225 million. At closing, Labcorp paid $192.5 million and could pay up to $32.5 million more in an earn-out linked to the assets' performance. Previously, Labcorp purchased select clinical, reproductive, and women's health diagnostic assets from BioReference for over $237 million. According to Phillip Frost, CEO and chair of OPKO Health, which owns BioReference, the transaction with Labcorp will allow BioReference to focus on its clinical testing in New Jersey and New York, as well as its blood test to detect prostate cancer, the 4Kscore Test. The company will also use the proceeds from the transaction to fund its recently expanded share repurchase authorization, Frost said. (DeSilva, Modern Healthcare, 9/15)
• Rhode Island: Over the last few weeks, CVS Health has made several leadership changes to its care delivery businesses, Healthcare Dive reports. Jon Thiboutot has been named CVS' president of retail health, succeeding Creagh Milford. Milford is currently president of Oak Street Health, which CVS acquired in 2023. Thiboutot has been with CVS for over 20 years and most recently served as VP of operations for MinuteClinic. Additionally, Paymon Farazi, president of Signify Health, will leave the company later this month. CVS acquired Signify in 2023 for $8 billion. Marcus Lanznar, who was previously VP of product and operations at Signify, was appointed as the company's new president, effective immediately. (Olsen, Healthcare Dive, 9/12)

The life sciences industry is at an inflection point. As pharma companies face mounting pressure they must adapt faster and more strategically. We'll explore key trends shaping commercial strategy in 2026 and gain actionable insights to stay competitive in an evolving health care landscape.