Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Chamber Of Commerce Joins Efforts To Halt Medicare Drug Price Negotiations
Politico: Chamber Of Commerce Requests Preliminary Injunction In Drug Price Negotiation Lawsuit
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its subsidiaries asked a federal court on Wednesday to grant a preliminary injunction to halt implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act’s drug pricing provisions. The new motion “focuses solely on the due process clause” and asks the court to “preserve the status quo” while further litigation plays out. CMS plans to publish a list of the first up to 10 drugs selected for negotiations by Sept. 1 — an action the Chamber of Commerce argues has already harmed the manufacturers of drugs expected to be selected. (Lim, 7/12)
The Hill: Chamber Of Commerce Files Motion For Preliminary Injunction On Medicare Drug Negotiation
“We’re seeking timely relief before the government can further implement its illegal and arbitrary price control scheme. If allowed to go into effect, the scheme would harm not only U.S. businesses but U.S. patients — limiting access to medicine, deterring needed investment, and stifling innovation,” Andrew Varcoe, deputy chief counsel at the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center, said in a statement. (Choi, 7/12)
Politico: House Panel Approves Bills Targeting Pharmacy Benefit Managers For More Disclosure
The House Education and the Workforce Committee advanced four health care bills focused on transparency for hospitals and pharmacy benefit managers with bipartisan support Wednesday. Some of the package seeks to bolster the No Surprises Act, a 2020 law aimed at protecting patients from receiving surprise medical bills, Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) said, and lower health care costs. (Leonard and Wilson, 7/12)
In other developments —
CIDRAP: GAO Releases Recommendations Aimed At Future Pandemics
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on key COVID-19 findings and recommendations, with the aim of helping federal agencies better prepare for future emergencies, according to a GAO press release. The report is a continuation of the GAO's series on the accountability and effectiveness of the federal government's $4.7 trillion pandemic response since 2020. (Soucheray, 7/12)
The 19th: Harris And Buttigieg Discuss Air Travel Accommodations For Wheelchair Users
Vice President Kamala Harris convened a roundtable discussion with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and over a dozen disability advocates Tuesday in honor of the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, with a focus on air travel for wheelchair users. Every year, airlines damage thousands of wheelchairs. Currently, wheelchair users on flights must be transferred from their chairs to smaller chairs designed for airplane aisles, and their chairs are stowed away. Buttigieg announced last summer that the Department of Transportation would work toward a new rule that would allow disabled travelers to stay in their own wheelchairs when they fly. That rule has not yet been announced. (Luterman, 7/12)
Politico: Priority Review Voucher Reauthorization Likely Falling Off PAHPA
An FDA program intended to incentivize development of new drugs to prevent or treat biological, chemical, radiological or nuclear threats is likely to lapse in early October despite support from some Republicans and the pharmaceutical industry. A House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee package to reauthorize the nation’s pandemic preparedness law set to be marked up Thursday did not include the FDA program, which is implemented through vouchers worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. (Lim, 7/12)
Politico: House Appropriators Slash Global Health Funding In 2024 Bill
The House Appropriations Committee approved legislation on party lines Wednesday cutting all funding to the World Health Organization and the United Nations Population Fund, while slashing off a fifth of the $600 million the Biden administration requested for reproductive health and family planning. (Paun, 7/12)
On a review of an energy drink —
Stat: Schumer's War On Logan Paul's Prime Energy Drink Likely To Fizzle
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the most powerful person in the U.S. Senate, wants the Food and Drug Administration to investigate the increasingly popular energy drink brand Prime. But it’s unclear what grounds the FDA would have to single out the company in the near future, or what the agency could really do on its own if it wanted to take serious actions against its co-founder, social media star and professional wrestler Logan Paul. (Florko, 7/13)
The Hill: FDA To Review Schumer’s Concerns Over YouTube Stars’ Energy Drink
“The FDA has received the letter, is reviewing the concerns outlined in the letter, and will respond to the Senator directly,” the statement read. Schumer called for an investigation into Prime, a beverage brand that makes a caffeinated energy drink as well as a hydration drink without caffeine. Schumer claimed that Prime, founded by YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI, was marketing the energy drink to children on social media. (Fortinsky, 7/12)
