Drugmakers Pump Donations Into 2016 War Chests — Here’s Where It’s Going

Stat: 5 Ways Drug Makers And Health Care Are Shaping Campaigns
If you count those contributions, Clinton has raised much more money from the industry than Obama had by mid-2012.All told, Clinton and the independent super PACs supporting her have already collected $3.9 million from the health care field, surpassing Obama, according to an analysis conducted for STAT by the Center for Responsive Politics. Trump, by comparison, has brought in only $82,000. (Kaplan, 8/16)

USA Today: New Cholesterol Drugs Could Add $120 Billion To Annual U.S. Health Costs
Promising new cholesterol-lowering drugs, priced at $14,000 a year per person, could add $120 billion annually to the USA's health care costs if taken by all eligible patients, according to an economic analysis published Tuesday in JAMA. Authors of the analysis said they hope the estimate will spur a national conversation about drug prices, the value of new medications and how much Americans are willing to pay to improve health. (Szabo, 8/16)

Bloomberg: Amgen, Sanofi Cholesterol Drugs Not Cost-Effective, Study Says
Amgen Inc., Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. would need to cut prices on their new cholesterol-lowering drugs by more than two-thirds to make them cost-effective to use in the U.S., a study found. The high list prices of the injectable medicines Praluent and Repatha -- which on average cost more than $14,000 per patient each year in the U.S. -- is “uniquely challenging” because they are meant to be lifelong treatments for a growing number of people, according to the study, published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. (Paton, 8/16)

Stat: Petition By Supporters Of California Drug Pricing Ballot Denied
Supporters of a California ballot measure, which is designed to lower drug prices, lost a state court bid on Monday to alter the wording of a key analysis that may affect the outcome of the closely watched battle. And the decision comes amid intensifying jockeying over a measure that is seen as a litmus test for public discontent over prescription drug costs. At issue is a report by a California state office that assessed the California Drug Price Relief Act, which would require the state Medicaid program and other state programs to pay no more for medicines than the prices negotiated by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Currently, the VA gets a 24 percent discount off average manufacturer prices. The vote is scheduled for Nov. 8. (Silverman, 8/16)

The Denver Post: Colorado Board Recommends Expanded Coverage For Hepatitis C Drug 
A state board recommended Tuesday night that more needy Coloradans receive potentially curative treatments for hepatitis C. But the board stopped short of recommending that the treatments — new drugs that have been shown to have a 90 percent cure rate — be extended to all Coloradans on Medicaid. And that means the American Civil Liberties Union may file a federal lawsuit against the state to force it to provide treatment to everyone. (Ingold, 8/17)

The Associated Press: Court Invalidates Signatures For Ohio Drug-Price Proposal
The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that a proposal aimed at controlling prescription drug prices lacks enough valid signatures to meet the state’s requirements, and backers must collect more for it to move ahead. The court said Monday that roughly 10,000 signatures submitted by supporters of the Drug Price Relief Act were erroneously validated, and more than 5,000 signatures are now needed for the initiated statute. (8/16)

Columbus Dispatch: Drug Price Reduction Campaign Will Return To Ohio In 2017
A ballot campaign to reduce prescription drug prices will be back in Ohio next year. Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said his group was stymied this year, but will collect supplemental signatures, as permitted by Monday's Ohio Supreme Court decision. He conceded the issue is dead for the Nov. 8 election. A drug price ballot issue almost identical to Ohio's is a hot ticket in California, where opponents, primarily major pharmaceutical companies, have spent nearly $70 million opposing the proposal. The Los Angles-based foundation put up about $9.4 million through early July, according to figures from the California Secretary of State. (Johnson, 8/17)

Morning Consult: Report Finds Orphan Drug Pricing Increased More With Higher Off-Label Use
Almost half of a special group of drugs, defined as those developed to treat rare diseases, were used for other purposes, according to a new report by America’s Health Insurance Plans. The greatest price increases among this group of drugs — called orphan drugs — were for those used for purposes other than treating the rare diseases they were developed to target. (Owens, 8/15)

Stat: Biosimilar Names May Affect Pharmacist Dispensing Habits
What’s in a name? An awful lot when it comes to biosimilars. A newly released survey suggests variations in how biosimilars are named may affect the willingness of pharmacists to substitute a so-called interchangeable biosimilar for a more expensive biologic. While a biosimilar is supposed to be highly similar to a biologic, interchangeability confers a higher threshold — it’s a distinct regulatory description for a biosimilar producing the very same clinical result as a biologic. (Silverman, 8/15)

Roll Call: Pharmaceutical Lobby Shakeup Precedes Drug Price Battle
The Washington lobbying group representing big pharmaceutical manufacturers is shedding high-level officials even as it prepares for what is shaping up to be an intense battle over rising prescription drug prices. Several top employees have left or are preparing to leave the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA. That includes Charles Clapton and Pam Smith, considered the group's top Republican and Democratic representatives, industry lobbyists and other sources said. Jennifer Romans, the vice president of federal advocacy, also left recently, and several sources said they expect more departures. (Mershon, 8/11)

Stat: Nonprofit Seeks To Dispel 'Myths' About Its Work
In the face of growing criticism over its efforts to place a value on new medicines, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review is trying to strike back. Recently, the nonprofit took a conciliatory approach by soliciting suggestions for improving its methods, but this week it became more aggressive by trying to dispel what it calls the “myths” about its operations and motives. The controversial organization released a manifesto on Tuesday that attempts to rebut its many critics, who have chastised ICER for purportedly having cozy relationships with insurers; failing to sufficiently take into account the views of patients; and not providing enough time for drug makers to respond to assessments, among other things. (Silverman, 8/11)

Bloomberg: Concordia Falls To Two-Year Low On Dividend Halt, CFO Departure
Concordia International Corp. tumbled to the lowest level in more than two years after the drug company slashed its 2016 forecast, suspended its dividend and announced the departure of a key executive amid disappointing second-quarter results. Concordia sank 24 percent to C$16.20 at 10 a.m. in Toronto, the biggest drop in 10 months and the lowest since April 2014. The stock has plummeted 71 percent this year after a more than seven-fold increase since 2012. The drugmaker lowered its outlook for 2016 revenue to a range of $859 million to $888 million, compared with the average estimate of about $939 million based on a Bloomberg survey. Concordia’s revised forecast for 2016 adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $510 million to $540 million also falls short of analysts’ estimates for about $575 million. (Lam, 8/12)

Stat: UK Patient Groups Urge Government To Negotiate Drug Prices
Arguing that cancer patients in the United Kingdom are missing out on new treatments, two leading charities are calling for the government to conduct direct price negotiations with drug makers and push for flexible pricing based on patient outcomes. In making their case, Breast Cancer Now and Prostate Cancer UK funded a report that found cancer patients in some countries of comparable wealth — such as Germany, France, Australia, Canada, and Sweden — generally have quicker access to cancer medicines. As a result, the charities maintain the approach taken in the UK to measure clinical effectiveness and cost effectiveness should change. (Silverman, 8/16)