Jan 17, 2018 - Health

Celgene may buy Juno Therapeutics

Juno Therapeutics is developing blood cancer treatments. Photo: BSIP/UIG via Getty Images

Celgene is in discussions to buy Juno Therapeutics roughly a week after agreeing to acquire a separate drug company, the Wall Street Journal reports. Juno's market cap was $5.2 billion at the end of Tuesday, and its stock jumped more than 43% in after-hours trading, suggesting a deal value of about $7.5 billion.

Get smart: Celgene, which already had a relationship with Juno, wants to own a piece of CAR-T treatments, which use a person's own immune cells to fight off cancer and are expensive. Celgene also appears to be prepping itself for 2027, when its blockbuster blood cancer drug Revlimid loses U.S. patent protection.

Go deeper

Jonathan Swan, Mike Allen
Updated 13 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Pence to continue traveling despite aides testing positive for COVID-19

Marc Short with Pence in March. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Marc Short, Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, tested positive for the coronavirus Saturday and is quarantining, according to a White House statement.

Why it matters: Short is Pence's closest aide, and was one of the most powerful forces on the White House coronavirus task force. Pence and second lady Karen Pence tested negative for the virus on Sunday morning, according to the vice president's office.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
26 mins ago - Politics & Policy

AOC: "Extremely important" that Biden offer Bernie Sanders a Cabinet position

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that she believes it's "extremely important" that Joe Biden offer Sen. Bernie Sanders and other progressive leaders Cabinet positions if he's elected president.

The big picture: Ocasio-Cortez was pressed repeatedly on policy differences between her and the more moderate Biden, including her opposition to fracking and support for Medicare for All. She responded that it would be a "privilege" and a "luxury" to be able to lobby a Biden administration on progressive issues, insisting that the focus right now should be on winning the White House.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
1 hour ago - Health

Mark Meadows: "We are not going to control the pandemic"

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows defended Vice President Pence's decision to continue traveling and campaigning despite his exposure to aides who have tested positive for COVID-19, saying Sunday that Pence is exempt from CDC guidelines because he is "essential personnel."

Why it matters: CDC guidelines call for people who have been exposed to the virus to quarantine for 14 days. Meadows said on CNN's "State of the Union" that Pence will wear a mask when he travels and argued that "he's not just campaigning," pointing to the Israel-Sudan normalization agreement announced by the White House last week.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow