Importation, Generics Expected To Be Topics Of House Hearing On Drug Prices
The House Energy and Commerce Committee is marking up a bill to renew the Food and Drug Administration’s authority to collect fees from the prescription drug and the medical device industries. In other news, next week the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will also hold a hearing on drug costs.
CQ Roll Call:
Drug Price Debate To Heat Up With House FDA Markup
Lawmakers from both parties plan Wednesday to offer controversial amendments to slash prescription drug prices when the House Energy and Commerce Committee marks up a Food and Drug Administration bill, but their chances of adoption appear slim. The amendments would address issues such as importation of cheaper drugs into the United States and the introduction of generic drugs. The committee will consider a bill (HR 2430) to renew the FDA’s authority to collect fees from the prescription drug and the medical device industries. The industry funding makes up roughly $2 billion of the FDA’s nearly $5 billion annual budget and pays the salaries of FDA employees who review applications. (Siddons, 6/6)
The Hill:
Senate Panel To Hold Hearing On Drug Prices
The Senate's health panel will hold a hearing next week on drug pricing, questioning experts about the prescription delivery system. The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee will hold the hearing June 13 at 10 a.m., according to a media advisory. The long-awaited hearing will focus on "the process of moving prescription drugs from the manufacturer to patients and how the drug deli system affects what patients pay when picking up their prescriptions," it says. (Hellmann, 6/6)
For more news on high drug costs, check out our weekly feature, Prescription Drug Watch, which includes coverage and perspectives of the issue.
