Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Coronavirus May Help Confirm Drugmakers' Long-Held Suspicions About China's IP Stance
Bloomberg: Coronavirus: China Drug Patent Grab Is Scary For Pharma
The coronavirus outbreak in China is already threatening to undermine the global economy. It may soon create a similar shake-up in the drug industry. I'm not talking about pharmaceutical companies’ attempts to develop a vaccine, but about intellectual property. Chinese researchers have applied for a patent on an antiviral drug candidate called remdesevir owned by Gilead Sciences Inc. The drug is being tested in clinical trials in short order, but the company could eventually be cut out. (Max Nisen, 2/5)
The Hill: New Cancer Drug Take-Back Program Can Reduce Financial Burdens And Save Lives
Finding quality cancer treatment is a life-altering pursuit, but too often financial challenges force patients to decide whether they can afford a potentially life-saving treatment. But a policy change by the state of Ohio has allowed for a new program from The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James) that serves as a step toward minimizing the financial burden of treatment. (Jennifer Carlson, 2/11)
Coloradopolitics.Com: Federal Legislation Is The Rx For Reining In Prescription Drug Prices
During his State of the Union address, the president called on Congress to pass the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act to help lower the drug bills of struggling Americans. And, off the heels of his speech, Vice President Mike Pence endorsed the bill in an effort to push lawmakers to act quickly in order to provide financial relief to millions of Americans, including us here in Colorado. A recent Morning Consult poll reported that nearly 92 percent of our state’s voters said that drug prices are an important issue for them and 71 percent blamed pharmaceutical companies for rising prices, but lawmakers have yet to pass legislation that would prevent price gouging, which has put our residents in harm’s way. (Kevin Priola, 2/11)
Las Cruces Sun News: Here's How The New Mexico Is Proposing To Lower Prescription Drug Prices
Many New Mexico families can’t afford the medication they need and either forgo filling their prescription drugs or end up rationing them to make their prescription last longer. Across the nation, one-fourth of all Americans report difficulty paying for their prescription drugs. People are forced with difficult choices like purchasing groceries or life-saving medication. (Mary Kay Papen and Kathy Kunkel, 2/12)
Detroit News: Trump's Drug Pricing Plan Is Wrong For Michigan, U.S.
The Trump administration has been toying with the idea of implementing an international pricing index (IPI) model for Medicare Part B drugs and biologicals. The ostensible goal of the model would be to lower drug prices. This supposedly would be accomplished by pegging the price that the Medicare system pays for drugs to a level closer to the prices paid in a collection of other countries. (Kent Kaiser, 2/11)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Out-Of-Control Prescription Drug Prices Finally Have A Solution In Pennsylvania
Prescription drug pricing is reaching a crisis point. A 2018 study showed that between 2012 and 2017, the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare increased nearly 10 times faster than the rate of inflation. And it continues to rise; the prices of more than 400 prescription drugs have already increased by an average of 5% in 2020. (Antoinette Kraus, 2/6)
