After HHS Secretary Alex Azar spoke at a two-hour Senate hearing, Morgan Stanley analyst David Risinger noted that Azar suggested that U.S. drug pricing needs to move to a system without rebates and said payments from drugmakers to PBMs should be eliminated. In listing four HHS actions that could hurt manufacturers, Risinger pointed out that Azar said he is interested in removing 100% cap on Medicaid rebates; he would like to adjust the Part D protected drug classes so that plans can extract rebates from manufacturers; HHS wants to require manufacturers to disclose drug list prices in TV ads; and HHS is focused on transitioning Part B to lower-priced private sector management. In summary, the analyst said that for drugmakers there was "no fire, but smoke signals worth noting." Publicly traded large-cap drugmakers include AstraZeneca (AZN), Bristol-Myers (BMY), Eli Lilly (LLY), GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Merck (MRK), Novartis (NVS), Pfizer (PFE), Roche (RHHBY) and Sanofi (SNY).

Nektar Therapeutics' (NKTR) NKTR-214 asset is the best shot Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) has to retain its footing in the competitive immuno-oncology space, Mizuho analyst Difei Yang tells investors in a research note. The analyst says that recent data in non-small cell lung cancer presented by Merck (MRK) on Keytruda saw the company jump ahead of Bristol's Opdivo in this key indication. Upcoming data of the Opdivo/NKTR-214 combo at ASCO on June 2 will be key on 100 patients across multiple indications, Yang contends. She believes Bristol stands at risk of losing significant market share in the growing immuno-oncology space. Ahead of the data, the analyst reiterates a Buy rating on Nektar with a $103 price target.