Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Drugmakers Raise Retail Prices On 775 Drugs Like Ozempic, Xolair, Shingrix
The Wall Street Journal: Drugmakers Raise Prices Of Ozempic, Mounjaro And Hundreds Of Other Drugs
Companies including Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, and Eli Lilly, which sells Mounjaro, raised list prices on 775 brand-name drugs during the first half of January, according to an analysis for The Wall Street Journal by 46brooklyn Research, a nonprofit drug-pricing analytics group. The drugmakers raised prices of their medicines by a median 4.5%, though the prices of some drugs rose by around 10% or higher, according to the research group. The median increase is higher than the rate of inflation, which ticked up to 3.4% in December. (Calfas, 1/18)
CBS News: Drugmakers Hiking Prices For More Than 700 Medications, Including Ozempic And Mounjaro
Not all medications saw price hikes, with the analysis finding that about two dozen medications dropped sharply in price at year start, including some popular insulin products. Other medications that saw price cuts include: Erectile dysfunction drug Cialis dropped 19%; Antidepressant Prozac declined 18%; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medication Advair declined 22% to 60%, depending on the formulation. (Picchi, 1/18)
Stat: Klobuchar Urges Drugmakers To Remove Patents FTC Calls Improper
Amid a push to crack down on patent abuse by the pharmaceutical industry, a key U.S. lawmaker is urging six large drug companies to remove dozens of patents that were identified by regulators as improperly or inaccurately listed with a federal registry. (Silverman, 1/18)
Stat: Merck, J&J CEOs Could Be Subpoenaed By Bernie Sanders
Senate health committee chair Bernie Sanders has taken a step toward subpoenaing the CEOs of Johnson & Johnson and Merck related to an investigation into high drug prices in the United States, he announced Thursday. The step is highly unusual, as the health committee hasn’t issued a subpoena in more than 40 years. (Cohrs, 1/18)
Also —
Capitol News Illinois: Illinois Bill Would Make Prescription Drug Cost Oversight Board
A new bill in the Illinois General Assembly would create a board of health care experts that would have the authority to set price limits on prescription medications. House Bill 4472 was introduced Wednesday by Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Palatine, and Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria. Using a variety of information related to the medication’s market, including the number of people taking the medication and its out-of-pocket cost, the board would assess its price. If the board finds it to be unreasonable, it could limit the amount wholesalers, pharmacies and hospitals can bill insurers and consumers for the drug. (Abbeduto, 1/18)
