Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Dark Money Group Has Run More Than $100,000 Worth Of Facebook Ads Targeting High Drug Prices
Stat: The Mysterious Dark Money Group Behind A Pharma-Bashing Ad Campaign
A new dark money group with conservative ties has run more than $100,000 worth of Facebook ads bashing pharmaceutical companies and high drug prices since October, STAT has learned. Their spokesperson is a well-known Republican communications professional who previously worked for President Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services. And their biggest promoter is the conservative radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt, who has mentioned the group multiple times on his morning show. (Swetlitz, 3/7)
Modern Healthcare: Trump's Proposed PBM Rebate Ban To Get Senate Boost
Senators are developing a set of bills to support the Trump administration's proposed ban on drug rebates for pharmacy benefit managers. Now that transparency has become Washington's buzzword for health reform, anti-rebate fervor — backed by pharmaceutical CEOs during last week's Senate Finance Committee grilling — is ratcheting up in both chambers. (Luthi, 3/6)
Stat: Allergan’s Would-Be Antidepressant Fails Patients In Four Studies
In 2015, Allergan spent $560 million on Naurex, a small biotechnology company that had what appeared to be an important new treatment for depression. Brent Saunders, Allergan’s CEO, called the deal “a compelling and exciting investment,” and said it could help in the most severe, treatment-resistant cases of depression. Not so fast. On Wednesday evening, Allergan announced the disappointing news that the lead drug from the deal, rapastinel, had failed to improve depression symptoms more than placebo when added to existing antidepressants in not one but three studies. (Herper, 3/6)
Bloomberg: Allergan's Rapid-Acting Antidepressant Fails In Key Studies
Allergan Plc shares fell after saying its fast-acting depression drug failed to show an improvement in symptoms beyond the placebo effect in three key studies. The drug, rapastinel, didn’t succeed in either the primary or secondary endpoints, which are critical measures needed for approval. The news comes less than a day after Johnson & Johnson’s Spravato nasal spray was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the first-ever rapid-acting anti-depressant. Allergan is studying its drug in both severe depression and suicidal thinking. (Koons and Lipschultz, 3/6)
And in other pharmaceutical news —
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Bill That Passed Georgia House A “First Step” On Drug Transparency
A bill grappling with a middleman in the pharmacy industry, pharmacy benefit managers, has passed the Georgia House of Representatives and now heads to the state Senate. House Bill 323, sponsored by Rep. David Knight, R-Griffin, passed 170 to 0 on Monday. (Hart, 3/6)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Philly’s IntegriChain Drug Payment Analytics Firm, Backed By Silicon Valley Cash, Buys Another Rival
IntegriChain, a Center City- and Ambler-based medical data analytics firm that employs 160, says it is acquiring Somerset, N.J.-based DaVIZta, an 80-person firm which focuses on healthcare payment data and analytics. The combination collect prescription use and payment information so drug companies can project prices and profits. IntegriChain says its clients include Pfizer, Merck, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline and other big drug companies. daVIZta serves Shire, Bausch Health and Amneal, among others. (DeStefano, 3/6)
