‘Moon Shot’ Will Just Maintain Status Quo For Expensive Cancer Drugs, Experts Say
Vice President Joe Biden could try to tackle high costs for cancer treatments with his cancer initiative, but so far he has not indicated that it will be a priority. In other news, California lawmakers are hoping that shining a spotlight on drugmakers will help lower prices.
Politico Pro:
Moon Shot Won't Take Down Drug Costs
Vice President Joe Biden yelled about the unacceptable costs of cancer drugs at his recent moon shot summit, but so far there's no indication drug prices will be anything more than a talking point in the ambitious quest to speed cancer therapies. Instead, the government and private sector partnerships that develop out of the project could just add to tensions over the government's responsibility to control the costs of drugs whose development it helps fund. (Karlin-Smith, 7/8)
The Associated Press:
Advocates Hope Shaming Drugmakers Discourages Price Spikes
Frustrated by the rising cost of prescription drugs, California health advocates hope sunlight and a dose of shame will discourage drugmakers from raising their prices too quickly or introducing new medications at prices that break the bank. They're promoting legislation that would require drugmakers to provide advance notice before making big price increases. Pharmaceutical companies have come out in force against the measure, warning it would lead to dangerous drug shortages. (Cooper, 7/10)
