PBM Restrictions Could Be Passed Or Punted By Lame-Duck Congress
Analysts look at the likelihood of lawmakers making moves to rein in drug middlemen this session. Also, covid-era prescription flexibility is kept in place, pharmaceutical companies take on GLP-1 copycats, and more.
Modern Healthcare:
PBM Bill May Pass Congress As Part Of Telehealth Extension
Congress has tried for much of the last two years to pass legislation to rein in pharmacy benefit managers, only to have negotiations fall just short. With lawmakers back for a post-election lame duck session, analysts see one last chance — but also a likelihood the effort may wait until Republicans take control of Capitol Hill next year. (McAuliff, 11/15)
Axios:
COVID-Era Telehealth Prescribing Extended Again
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Health and Human Services ended an impasse over the virtual prescribing of controlled substances that threatened access to drugs like Adderall by extending pandemic-era flexibilities through the end of 2025. Keeping the status quo leaves the question of whether to make controlled substances available without an in-person doctor's visit for the Trump administration to decide. (Bettelheim and Goldman, 11/18)
More on the high cost of prescription drugs —
Roll Call:
Future Of Medicare Drug Price Negotiations Murky Under Trump
The future of one of President Joe Biden’s key domestic policy achievements — getting Medicare to negotiate drug prices — could either become part of the Biden administration’s legacy, get rolled back by the incoming Congress or be weakened by President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. Trump has remained relatively mum about the drug pricing provisions of the 2022 reconciliation bill and its future appears even murkier now that Republicans will control both the House and Senate. (DeGroot and Hellmann, 11/15)
Modern Healthcare:
Eli Lilly Sues HHS, HRSA Over 340B Drug Program
Eli Lilly sued the federal government as the pharmaceutical manufacturer tries to limit the discounts it provides to hospitals. The company on Thursday sued the Health and Human Services Department and its subagency the Health Resources and Services Administration, claiming the government cannot dictate how it distributes 340 drug discounts. Under the 340B program, drugmakers must sell discounted outpatient drugs to hospitals and clinics that treat many low-income patients to stay enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid. (Kacik, 11/15)
In other pharmaceutical news —
The Washington Post:
Easing EMS Access To Blood Could Save 10,000 U.S. Lives, Surgeons Say
Up to 10,000 lives could be saved each year by improving access to blood in the field, a group of surgeons said in a news conference last month. The event, which took place at an American College of Surgeons clinical conference in San Francisco, emphasized how faster access to blood could improve survival during emergencies. (Blakemore, 11/16)
The Wall Street Journal:
Eli Lilly And Novo Want To Shake Off Ozempic Copycats. Are They Ready To Meet Demand?
Pharmaceutical companies are typically rewarded for their innovation with years of market exclusivity before cheaper generics enter the scene. But for diabetes and obesity drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound, known as GLP-1s, cheaper copycats emerged almost immediately. This is due to a provision that permits drug compounders to produce copies during periods of shortage. For GLP-1s, supply constraints have persisted ever since Wegovy’s approval for obesity in 2021, giving rise to a booming market for compounders. (Wainer, 11/17)
NPR:
The 'Magic' Drug For Malaria May Be Falling Short
Lately, Dr. Ruth Namazzi and her colleagues have been stopping one another in their hospital ward with worried looks. ... For years, Namazzi — who is also a lecturer at Makerere University College of Health Sciences — has turned to a medication called artemisinin. The drug is derived from an ancient Chinese malaria treatment that was rediscovered several decades ago and has saved millions of lives. It made such a profound difference that one of the people who helped revive the medical recipe received a Nobel prize for her work. (Emanuel, 11/15)
