Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: FDA's Faster Pace At Approving Generics Has Saved Americans $26B, Yet It's Flown Under Radar
The Wall Street Journal: Sticking It To Pharma—With Competition
Did you hear that the Trump Administration has saved Americans $26 billion on prescription drugs? Probably not, and one person who seldom mentions it, oddly enough, is President Trump. A report from his own White House shows how faster approvals at the Food and Drug Administration are lowering prices. The FDA has over 20 months of the Trump Administration approved an astounding 1,617 generic drugs, which are identical to branded versions but sold at commodity prices after patents expire. That works out to 81 a month on average—an 17% increase over the preceding 20 months. The Council of Economic Advisers in October tried to tally the savings from new entrants: $26 billion. (11/19)
Stat: We Created A Transparent Pharmacy Benefit Management Company. Here's Why
Although pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have been part of American health care since the 1970s, how they make money is a mystery for many people outside of the industry. Calls for transparency have resounded in the media and at all levels of government with growing frequency in recent years. Often, pharmacy benefit managers respond by touting their transparent programs, but within the industry, “transparency” can mean many different things, making it a shell game. (Michael A. Perry, 11/14)
The Post And Courier: Both Parties Agree Prescription Drug Prices Are Out Of Control
As elections earlier this month made clear, voters still care a lot about health care. And chief among their concerns are exorbitantly high drug prices. The only point of disagreement is how to bring them down.Oddly enough, however, conservatives and liberals might be closer on this issue than you expect. One party is calling for price negotiations between the federal government and drug manufacturers; the other is calling for Medicare to unilaterally set prices. Which one is the Democratic proposal, and which one is Republican? (Ezekiel Emanuel, 11/19)
The Star Tribune: Here's A Roadmap For Lowering Drug Prices
In this age of bitter political division, there’s a health care reform that Americans overwhelmingly agree on — allowing the federal government to wield its vast purchasing power to drive down medication costs for seniors. The newly elected Democratic House majority ought to leverage this rare common ground to swiftly pass a Medicare drug price negotiation bill, putting pressure on the Republican-controlled Senate to do the same. (11/16)
Bloomberg: Peanut Allergy Remedy Offers Hope And Risk
Food allergies alter lives and can have deadly consequences. That’s one of the reasons that full results of a study of Aimmune Therapeutics Inc.’s peanut allergy treatment, published Sunday in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, are so exciting. The findings validated and fleshed out details of the study that were first released in February. The key takeaway: After a year of treatment, two-thirds of children who took the medication were able to eat small amounts of peanuts. This isn’t a cure. But it has a shot at U.S. government approval, and could make the lives of children with few options easier and safer. That gives the medicine huge commercial potential. (Max Nisen, 11/19)
Forbes: The Bizarre World Of Drug Pricing
There is no shortage of bad ideas when it comes to the pharmaceutical market. One such proposal would allow drugs to be imported directly from other countries, such as Canada. Then there is the Trump administration’s proposal that would effectively adopt foreign price controls on Medicare Part B drugs by implementing an international pricing index (IPI). These policies, if implemented, would harm the quality of health care in the U.S. by reducing patients’ access to medicines and harming future innovations. (Wayne Winegarden, 11/19)
