In this week's Pharma Pulse, Cencora agrees to acquire American Oncology Network, five major employers back electronic prior authorization for self-funded health plans and FDA finalizes its guidance on prescription drug apps and software.
News|Podcasts|April 23, 2026
Pharma Pulse: A $7B Buyout, Tariff Refunds, Cold Chain Growth and More
Author(s)Stephen Appezzato
In this week’s Pharma Pulse, GEODIS’ cold chain expansion in the Midwest, a potential multi-billion dollar shift in cell therapy, and the White House’s new push for psychedelic mental health treatments.
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Welcome to Pharma Pulse, a Pharmaceutical Commerce podcast in which we bring you the latest insights shaping patient access, supply chain logistics, and healthcare innovation
I’m your host, and let’s get into today’s headlines.
- Amid a growing demand for temperature-sensitive biologics, GEODIS has opened its first dedicated healthcare cold chain
cross-dock facility in Chicago. By situating this hub near O’Hare International Airport, GEODIS is shortening the "last mile" for global pharmaceutical shipments. The facility features advanced climate control and real-time monitoring. - In major M&A news, Eli Lilly agreed to a
$7 billion buyout of Kelonia Therapeutics. This move signals Lilly’s intent to dominate the "next-gen" cell therapy space. Kelonia’s platform focuses on in vivo lentiviral vector technology, essentially aiming to deliver gene therapies directly inside the patient’s body. If successful, this would eliminate the need for the complex, expensive, and time-consuming external cell processing. - Turning to the regulatory landscape, the White House has issued a
formal order for the FDA to accelerate reviews of psychedelic mental health treatments. With rising rates of treatment-resistant depression and PTSD, the administration is pushing for "breakthrough" designations for some psychedelic substances. This directive doesn't just speed up the clock; it signals a massive cultural and legislative shift that could open a large commercial market for neuro-medicines. - As global drug counterfeiting becomes more sophisticated, Identiv is
expanding its portfolio of NFC-based authentication tools. While standard 2D barcodes are a regulatory must, Identiv is betting on "digital twins" via near-field communication, and packaging designed to alert exposure or tamper incidents. - Finally, for importers navigating the Trump-era pharma tariffs, there is a significant financial opportunity on the table. Pharma importers can potentially recoup past tariff payments through a new
CBP portal , which resulted from the Supreme Court’s ruling against the White House’ use of the IEEPA to impose global tariffs.
That's it for this episode of Pharma Pulse. For more insights on trends transforming pharmaceutical access, visit
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