STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about rising drug shortages, GSK coughing up a trial loss, and more
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- U.S. drug shortages rose to 227 active shortages in Q2 2026, up from 214 in Q3 2025, according to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
- Sole-source products—those made by a single manufacturer—account for 48% of all new shortages in 2026, meaning no alternative supplier exists.
- Contrast agents used in life-saving CT scans and MRIs represent 10% of all new shortages this year, and controlled substances make up 16% of active shortages.
- GSK is dropping camlipixant three years after paying roughly $2 billion to acquire Bellus Health, after a pair of Phase 3 trials in refractory chronic cough showed "limited efficacy" unlikely to transform patient care.
- Camlipixant belongs to the P2X3 antagonist class, where other drug candidates have also fallen by the wayside during development.
- GSK framed the setback against its broader need to refill the late-stage pipeline as it braces for patent expirations beginning in 2028.
Why it matters: With 227 active shortages—up from 214 just two quarters earlier—patients and hospitals face an expanding list of unfilled prescriptions, and the 48% sole-source share means a single manufacturing hiccup can wipe out a critical drug. The camlipixant failure is a separate $2 billion write-off for GSK at the worst possible moment, as the company needs new late-stage assets before patent cliffs hit in 2028.
