Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Launch Prices For Some Medications Outpace Inflation, Review Finds
Stat: Launch Prices For New Drugs 'Significantly' Exceed Inflation, Analysis Says
Amid intensifying angst over prescription drug prices, a new analysis found that the median net price for 154 newly launched medicines, when adjusted for inflation and manufacturer discounts, rose by 51% between 2022 and 2024. (Silverman, 10/23)
Stat: Buyer's Club Will Obtain Generic Of Pricey Vertex Cystic Fibrosis Drug
Frustrated by the price of a lifesaving cystic fibrosis treatment sold by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a group of families is working with a generic manufacturer to revive a buyer’s club and distribute the medication in countries where the cost is out of a reach. (Silverman, 10/23)
The New York Times: Drug With A 30-Year Monopoly Is Target Of State-Level Push To Curb Prices
With a sticker price that has risen nearly tenfold since 1998, Enbrel, the blockbuster arthritis drug sold by Amgen, has become emblematic of pharmaceutical industry tactics that keep prices high. Cheaper versions offered by competitors began arriving in Europe in 2016, but they are not expected to reach the United States until 2029. Those dynamics have recently made Enbrel a target of federal and state efforts to lower drug prices. (Robbins, 10/23)
More pharma and tech news —
MedPage Today: Cancer Drug Pulled From Market Regains FDA Approval
The FDA has once again approved belantamab mafodotin (Blenrep) for multiple myeloma, 3 years after the drug left the market over questions about its efficacy. A B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeted agent, belantamab mafodotin is now indicated in combination with bortezomib (Velcade) and dexamethasone (BVd) for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least two prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor and an immunomodulatory drug. (Bassett, 10/23)
NBC News: A Liver Transplant Might Save Him — If He Can Get The Drug He Needs To Stay Alive Long Enough
The prognosis for John Middleton isn’t good. The 43-year-old engineer from Asheville, North Carolina, has a type of bile duct cancer hidden inside his liver called cholangiocarcinoma. It’s rare, diagnosed in about 8,000 people each year in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. And it’s deadly. The National Cancer Institute says that just 22% of patients live five years after their diagnoses. (Edwards, McLaughlin and Herzberg, 10/23)
The Baltimore Sun: AI-Powered App Speaks For Persons With Disabilities
Getting a quick zinger into a fast-paced conversation takes timing, wit and speed. For people who have difficulty putting their thoughts into words, a new app developed at the University of Maryland, College Park, could reopen opportunities to share in the humor. (Hille, 10/23)
