Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicaid Directors Urge Congress To Intervene On Specialty Drug Costs
The Associated Press: States Ask Congress To Intervene On Drug Prices
Medicaid chiefs from red and blue states are urging Congress to stem the cost of revolutionary new drugs for hepatitis C, cancer, and other diseases. In a letter Tuesday to key congressional committees, the National Association of Medicaid Directors said lawmakers should consider everything from outright price controls on manufacturers to federal help for states trying to pay for the new medications. (10/28)
CQ Healthbeat: Medicaid Directors Warn Congress On Cost Of Specialty Drugs
The National Association of Medicaid Directors, in its eight-page letter to the Democratic and Republican leaders of four congressional committees with jurisdiction over health care issues, said that prescription drug spending for hepatitis C treatments has doubled or tripled in several states in the first quarter of 2014 compared to the amount the states spent during the entire year of 2013. Sovaldi costs roughly $84,000 per treatment course. (Adams, 10/28)
The Wall Street Journal: Sales Of Gilead’s Pricey Hepatitis Drug Slow
Gilead Sciences Inc. said sales of its blockbuster hepatitis C treatment Sovaldi fell 20% in the third quarter from the June period, a drop that was expected as physicians and patients waited for the arrival of the company’s newest drug. Sovaldi is believed to be the biggest new drug launch ever, thanks to demand driven by its 90% hepatitis C cure rate and diminished side effects. (Stynes and Rockoff, 10/28)
The New York Times: Low Drug Sales Drag Down Shares Of Sanofi And Gilead
Shares of Sanofi and Gilead Sciences fell on Tuesday after they reported lower-than-expected sales of their most important drugs. (Pollack, 10/28)
