Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Lawmakers Target Revolving Door Between Federal Agencies, Pharma With Proposed Bill
The Washington Post: Senators Call For Crackdown On Pharmaceutical Industry ‘Revolving Door’
Seven Democratic U.S. senators on Thursday introduced legislation designed to slow the “revolving door” between federal agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration and the pharmaceutical companies they regulate. “The pharmaceutical industry has a deep-rooted and strong influence in Washington, and a revolving door between drug companies and government cannot undermine the safety of our communities,” said Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who sponsored the bill. (Higham and Bernstein, 11/2)
Stat: A Bill Would Slow The Revolving Door Between Pharma And Federal Agencies
To wit, the bill would increase the prohibition on former senior regulators lobbying the federal government from one to two years, and expand the definition of “lobbying contact” to include any lobbying activities and strategy. The Pharmaceutical Regulation Conflict of Interest Act would also require former senior regulators to recuse themselves from any official actions that directly or substantially benefit former employers or clients for whom they worked in the previous two years before joining the federal government. (Silverman, 11/2)
In other pharmaceutical news —
Stat: Trump Administration Strikes Policy That Some Say Helped Lower Drug Prices
The Trump administration on Thursday boldly reversed an Obama-era policy that supporters said had helped lower prices for some costly drugs. The policy centers on so-called biosimilar drugs, which are highly similar versions of biologic drugs manufactured in living cells or microorganisms. The Obama administration designed certain Medicare payments to encourage more price competition among those biosimilar drugs. Trump’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will reverse that policy beginning Jan. 1, 2018. (Mershon, 11/2)
