Industry Expects Changes With Sanders At Helm Of Senate Health Panel
Among the new term's looming congressional changes that will shape health policy is Sen. Bernie Sanders' leadership of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Drug pricing is also expected to be a key 2023 issue.
Politico:
Health Care Lobbyists Are Bracing For Chair Bernie Sanders
The Vermont independent is set to take over the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee next month. Leading the panel gives the Medicare-for-All proponent oversight authority over some of his policy priorities — drug pricing, workers’ rights and income inequality, and student and medical debt. (Wilson, 1/3)
On drug pricing —
Politico:
‘The Slippery Slope Is Powerful’: Dems Believe Drug Pricing Law Will Pay Dividends
Democrats staring down a divided Congress in 2023 have an answer for those wondering if the window is closing for significant health care wins: watch and wait. The incoming GOP House majority may block their attempts to enact more federal controls on health costs. But this year’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act will empower Medicare to negotiate drug prices for the first time, paving the way for more government action over the coming years, argued Peter Welch (D-Vt.). (Miranda Ollstein, 12/29)
Reuters:
Exclusive: Drugmakers To Raise Prices On At Least 350 Drugs In U.S. In January
Drugmakers including Pfizer Inc, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY.N), AstraZeneca PLC and Sanofi SA plan to raise prices in the United States on more than 350 unique drugs in early January, according to data analyzed by healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors. (Erman and Steenhuysen, 12/30)
Other political, legal developments relating to health —
Stat:
Priorities Pile Up For HHS, FDA, CMS, NIH
The nation’s health agencies already have a long to-do list for 2023. Top officials have promised reforms in the food, drug, and public health departments as frustrations mount over the federal response to Covid-19 and last year’s widespread baby formula shortages. (Owermohle, 1/3)
The Wall Street Journal:
FDA, Concerned About Safety, Explores Regulating CBD In Foods, Supplements
The Food and Drug Administration is studying whether legal cannabis is safe in food or supplements and plans to make recommendations for how to regulate the growing number of cannabis-derived products in the coming months, agency officials said. (Essley Whyte, 12/29)
Politico:
‘I Know Firsthand They Failed’: Parents Decry Lack Of FDA Action On Infant Formula Safety
When Kelly Knight gave birth to her son, Ryker, she was thrilled — and carrying the memory of the two babies she’d previously lost at nearly full term. “He was perfect,” Knight said. “It was kind of like filling that empty spot.” But when four-week-old Ryker started vomiting at home, Knight, who has three older children, immediately sensed something was wrong. (Bottemiller Evich, 12/31)
The New York Times:
Justice Dept. Sues AmerisourceBergen Over Role In Opioid Crisis
The suit, filed by the department’s civil division in conjunction with federal prosecutors in New Jersey, Colorado, Pennsylvania and New York, is part of a growing effort by federal agencies to hold drug companies accountable for their role in the nation’s opioid crisis. It accuses AmerisourceBergen and two of its subsidiaries of “at least hundreds of thousands” of violations of the Controlled Substances Act. (Thrush and Albeck-Ripka, 12/29)
