Pharma Is Losing Its Once Iron-Clad Grip On Washington As More And More Republicans Eye Pricing Reforms
What happened to the once powerful lobby? Voter dismay about drug prices, backlash over the opioid crisis, miscalculations by the drug industry and its lobbyists, and the populist wave that brought President Donald Trump into office is weakening loyalties to the industry.
The Wall Street Journal:
How The Drug Lobby Lost Its Mojo In Washington
The drug industry doesn’t pack the lobbying punch it once did, and one sign is something rare in the capital today—a dose of bipartisanship. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) joined Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) to write a bill last July to regulate prescription-drug prices, an idea the industry has bottled up since the 1960s. Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas) with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) sponsored a bill in May to block drug companies from using patent laws to delay lower-priced drugs. (Mullins and Armour, 2/19)
In other pharmaceutical news —
Modern Healthcare:
Oscar Joins Other Health Insurers In Capping Insulin Costs
New York-based Oscar Health is the latest insurer to cap some plan members' out-of-pocket costs for life-saving insulin and other medications, a move several insurance companies have made in the last year amid pressure to reduce prescription drug costs. Oscar announced Wednesday that its individual insurance plan members will now pay $3 for a month's supply of 100 commonly used drugs. In addition to insulin, a high-cost drug is used to treat Type 1 diabetes, the list includes drugs to treat Type 2 diabetes, migraines, nausea, allergies and high blood pressure, among other medical conditions. (Livingston, 2/19)
