Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Johnson & Johnson Will Include $448 A Month Price Tag For Blood Thinner In First Ad Disclosing Drug Costs
The Wall Street Journal: Johnson & Johnson To Air First TV Ad For Drug That Discloses Its Price
Johnson & Johnson plans to start airing the first U.S. television commercial for a prescription drug that discloses how much it costs, a nod toward rising political pressure over prices. The ad for J&J’s bloodthinner Xarelto—a version of which has already been on the air without mentioning price—will now end by briefly showing its list price of $448 a month. It is scheduled to start running nationally on Friday, according to Scott White, head of J&J’s pharmaceuticals business in North America. (Loftus, 3/28)
Stat: Why J&J Raced To Put Drug Prices In Some TV Ads
One notion proposed by the Trump administration to blunt the rising cost of medicines is to require drug makers to disclose list — or wholesale — prices in their TV advertising. The hope is that companies will be persuaded to compete on price if “relevant information” is provided. But the idea has been met with criticism, mostly because few consumers pay this amount unless, for instance, they lack insurance. Nonetheless, the proposal was sent last week to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is taking this idea one step further with updated ads for its Xarelto blood thinner that show not just the list price, but potential out-of-pocket costs. We spoke with Scott White, the J&J group chairman for the North American pharmaceuticals business, about the move. (Silverman, 3/28)
In other pharmaceutical news —
Stat: Drug Makers Continue To Clamor For FDA Approval Of Orphan Drugs
Orphan drugs may serve small groups of patients, but they generate big numbers at the Food and Drug Administration. Last year, the agency issued a record-breaking 91 orphan drug approvals, up from 81 approvals in 2017 and well above levels seen in previous years. We should point out, though, that approvals include not only new drugs, but also applications for new orphan uses of previously approved medicines, otherwise known as repurposed drugs. (Silverman, 3/28)
Kaiser Health News: Doughnut Hole Is Gone, But Medicare’s Uncapped Drug Costs Still Bite Into Budgets
Recent proposals by the Trump administration and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) would address the long-standing problem by imposing a spending cap. But it’s unclear whether any of these proposals will gain a foothold. The 2006 introduction of the Medicare prescription drug benefit was a boon for seniors, but the coverage had weak spots. One was the so-called doughnut hole — the gap beneficiaries fell into after they accumulated a few thousand dollars in drug expenses and were on the hook for the full cost of their medications. Another was the lack of an annual cap on drug spending. (Andrews, 3/29)
Politico Pro: Trump Ally Rick Scott Drafting Ambitious Drug Pricing Bill Targeting Pharma, Insurers
Freshman Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla), jumping quickly into the drug-pricing debate, will unveil a bill this morning that would require manufacturers for five years to peg the cost of their medicines to the lower amounts paid abroad, and make insurers disclose upfront costs to consumers. (Owermohle, 3/29)
