Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: It's Past Time For The Government To Intervene Over High Drug Prices
The News & Observer: Crusade Needed On Drug Prices
The tales of woe, some seemingly catastrophic, are too many and too common. A patient is diagnosed with a rare illness for which there is a miracle or near-miracle drug, but the cost of that drug is either prohibitive, period, or will in a very short time break the patient and his family. It is a state in which patients in other countries, where drug prices are notably cheaper than they are in the United States, do not find themselves. But drug-makers offer a weary excuse: They have to pay for research and development and should be allowed to recoup their costs and make a profit. (12/5)
Stat: Drug-Price Reforms That Limit Incentives For Innovation Could Harm, Not Help
The ongoing furor over the price of prescription pharmaceuticals has become so intense that even an august, establishment group like the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) cannot help but weigh in. Its report, “Making Medicines Affordable: A National Imperative,” released Thursday, is encouraging, as it is from an eminent group long on scientists and short on politicos, hinting at a rare, nonpartisan objectivity befitting the Academies. (John Osborn and David Beier, 11/30)
Stat: If Biden Runs For President, He'll Need To Reboot His Record On Drug Prices
Joe Biden wants to be president, the champion of working families. But there is another side to the former vice president: protector of big pharmaceutical companies, indifferent to the harsh consequences of high drug prices. If Biden wants to pursue a future in politics, he ought to consider a reboot on drug pricing issues. (James Love, 11/30)
JAMA: Encouraging New Uses For Old Drugs
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a new drug typically coincides with a period of patent protection, during which the manufacturer will often apply for additional indications to expand the market for the product. ... This pattern of additional testing and approvals is common for more expensive on-patent drugs, but new indications are rarely sought for less-expensive generic drugs, for which it is more difficult to profit from the research. This creates a policy conundrum: follow-on innovation for low-cost generic products offers a rare opportunity to simultaneously improve health outcomes and likely reduce health care expenditures, but how could such research be encouraged? (Rachel E. Sachs, Paul B. Ginsburg and Dana P. Goldman, 12/4)
Bloomberg: Botox Suddenly Looks Less Invincible
Allergan PLC's golden goose might be getting tired.Botox is Allergan's best-selling product and an essential growth driver for the company. It is notoriously tough to replicate. But at least one competitor is giving it a real go: Revance Therapeutics Inc., a Newark, California-based biotech, released promising trial data Tuesday on an injection that may last longer than Botox. (Max Nisen, 12/5)
