Progressives In House Growing Ever More Frustrated With How Democratic Leadership Is Working On Drug Pricing
Some angry progressives say the secrecy being employed by leadership is akin to how Republicans drafted legislation to repeal and replace the health law. At issue is a plan House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office has been working on for months that would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices, a top priority for Democrats and one that the party stressed in its campaign last year to win back the House. Meanwhile, Republican senators are asking pharmaceutical companies for their suggestions to lower costs, and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) talks about her drug plan.
The Hill:
Liberals Rip Democratic Leaders For Writing Drug Pricing Bill In Secret
Progressive House Democrats are growing increasingly frustrated with their party’s leadership, accusing them of writing Democrats’ signature bill to lower prescription drug prices in secret and without their input. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) compared the process around Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) drug pricing measure to the secrecy surrounding the GOP’s ObamaCare repeal bill in 2017, when Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) famously wheeled a photocopier across the Capitol in a dramatized search for the hidden legislation. (Sullivan, 6/6)
The Hill:
GOP Senators Ask PhRMA For Solutions To Lower Drug Prices
A group of eight Republican senators is writing to pharmaceutical companies asking them what solutions they have for lowering drug prices. The letter to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America released Thursday, led by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), says the lawmakers are looking for “cooperation” from drug companies as they seek to lower drug prices. (Sullivan, 6/6)
Seattle Times:
Sen. Patty Murray Introduces Bipartisan Bills Aimed At Lowering Prescription Drug Prices
Lowering the cost of prescription drugs is an issue agreed on by a wide swath of politicians, from President Donald Trump to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. As the ranking Democrat on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is better positioned than most to do something about it. Murray was in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood on Thursday to talk about legislation she has introduced, and plans to introduce, this year to lower health-care costs. The senator spoke in the lobby of the Country Doctor Community Clinic, flanked by clinic employees and people struggling to pay for prescription drugs. (Blethen, 6/6)
Stat:
Fed Up With FDA, ALS Advocates Consider A Take-No-Prisoners Approach
Next Wednesday, a cadre of ALS patients will gather for a protest outside the FDA’s headquarters in suburban Maryland with a clear message: “No More Excuses.” The rally is being organized by a ragtag group of ALS patients who connected mostly through Facebook, and it’s far less a production than other efforts like the 2014 ice bucket challenge that swept around the world. These protesters haven’t even established a formal organization or a website; some said they’ve never even been to a protest. There’s nary a poster board in sight, yet. (Florko, 6/7)
And in other pharmaceutical news —
Reuters:
Exclusive: Sanofi Poised To Appoint Novartis' Hudson As CEO
Sanofi is poised to appoint Paul Hudson, a top executive with Switzerland's Novartis, to become the French drugmaker's next CEO from Sept. 1, a source familiar with the decision told Reuters on Thursday. Current Sanofi SA CEO Olivier Brandicourt will leave the company to retire, said the source, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. "Hudson has been chosen because of his reputation. He is known as a solid manager and has an expertise in digital relating to pharmaceuticals," the source said. (Blamont, 6/6)
Stat:
Biotech’s Infamous Party Dropped The Topless Dancers This Year. But There Were Gladiators
This year, the dancers weren’t topless. It was the most noticeable — and perhaps the most significant — change to the infamous biotech bash known as PABNAB, an annual event thrown alongside the BIO International Conference that is decidedly not affiliated with that gathering. (PABNAB stands for Party at BIO Not Associated with BIO.) Last year, topless dancers painted with the logos of biotech companies who had sponsored the event — including Selexis and Alpha Blue Ocean — sparked a widespread outcry among women in the industry and even drew a rebuke from a U.S. senator. (Sheridan, 6/6)
Stat:
AIDS Groups Criticize Express Scripts For Excluding Some HIV Drugs
A recent decision by one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers in the U.S. to exclude several HIV medicines from its list of drugs eligible for insurance coverage has angered AIDS advocacy groups, which argue the move may harm patients. In two separate actions over the past few months, Express Scripts excluded seven HIV medicines for anyone starting treatment. The pharmacy benefit manager explained that less expensive alternatives are available and its decisions were supported by clinical guidelines. The company also noted the drugs remaining on its national formulary appear on federal guidelines for most patients. (Silverman, 6/6)
The Wall Street Journal:
Federal Judge Wraps Up Hearings Into CVS-Aetna Deal
Two days of unprecedented court hearings on CVS Health Corp.’s acquisition of Aetna Inc. wrapped up without a firm date for when a federal judge would rule on a Justice Department settlement that allowed the deal, and legal uncertainty for the merged firm could last well into the summer. Judge Richard Leon heard testimony this week on the nearly $70 billion merger in a proceeding he decided to conduct after reviewing the terms of the October settlement between the two companies and the Justice Department that allowed the deal to go through. (Burton, 6/6)
