Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Amid Tariff Threats, Lilly Vows To Make New Weight Loss Pill In US
Bloomberg: Lilly Promises To Make Weight-Loss Pill In US In Reshoring Push
Eli Lilly & Co. plans to manufacture its new weight-loss pill in the US for patients around the world as President Donald Trump presses companies to move production back to American shores. (Muller, 4/18)
Stat: In Ireland, A Global Hub For Pharma, Trump Tariffs Are A Source Of Deep Worry
The hulking factories are tucked away off the roads around the village of Ringaskiddy — operated by the likes of Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and BioMarin, whose plant featured signs last week touting a new facility “coming Q1 2027.” (Joseph, 4/21)
More on the high price of prescription drugs —
Stat: Novo Nordisk Mounts Unusual Challenge To Medicare Price Negotiation Program
When should six drugs count as one? That question is at the heart of an unusual challenge that the pharma company Novo Nordisk is pursuing against the federal government. And the answer could have major ramifications for the Medicare drug price negotiation program, a signature accomplishment of former President Biden that President Trump has also embraced. (Wilkerson, 4/21)
Chicago Tribune: Illinois Looks To Rein In Drug Intermediaries Over High Pricing
New patients have recently begun streaming into Del-Kar Pharmacy — an independent, 65-year-old drugstore in North Lawndale — after nearby Walgreens stores closed. The new customers would be a blessing for many businesses, but for Del-Kar it means losing money on many prescriptions. The reimbursements the drugstore receives for filling orders are often less than the cost of filling them, said second-generation owner and pharmacist Edwin Muldrow. (Petrella and Schencker, 4/20)
Axios: Arkansas PBM Law Could Spur Lookalike Restrictions
At least half a dozen states are weighing new restrictions aimed at limiting pharmacy benefit managers' ability to influence drug prices, including prohibitions on steering business to affiliated pharmacies. With Congress gridlocked on PBM legislation, more states are taking the lead in addressing industry practices that critics say drive up costs and are pushing independent pharmacies out of business. (Reed, 4/21)
NPR: Portraits: A 10-Year-Old, A House Painter And A Mom Struggle To Get HIV Medication
A 10-year-old girl who'll keep going to the local clinic for the medications to suppress the HIV virus — forgetting that it's now closed. A house painter who no longer has the strength to do his work. A teenager who finds comfort in religious music as she wonders why it was her fate to be born HIV positive — and how she will find the medications she needs to keep the virus at bay. (Emanuel and Davis, 4/20)
Also —
AP: Why More Pharmacies Are Offering Fast Prescription Deliveries
America’s two largest retailers want to deliver prescriptions to your doorstep in as little as a few hours. Amazon and Walmart are undergoing national expansions in same-day prescription deliveries. They’re joining a trend that has gained momentum since the COVID-19 pandemic, with drugstore chains and companies like Instacart and DoorDash rushing to deliver prescriptions as soon as possible. Fast prescription delivery options are growing as traditional drugstores close and more people use telemedicine or subscription-based care that encourages regular deliveries. (Murphy, 4/20)
