Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Right-To-Try Bill Gets Another Shot In The House Next Week
Stat: Right-To-Try Bill Headed For Vote Puts Bigger Burden On FDA, Gottlieb Says
The House is set to take up a controversial “right-to-try” bill next week — and if it passes, the Food and Drug Administration will have to work harder to protect patients than it would if a different version of the legislation were advancing, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told STAT in an interview. Gottlieb’s comments, made at FDA headquarters on Thursday, indicate that one of President Trump’s top lieutenants believes Congress is moving forward with a bill that contains less of his agency’s input than an alternative version of the bill — a more recent, updated bill that passed the House in March but ultimately stalled in the Senate. (Swetlitz and Mershon, 5/17)
The Hill: House To Vote To Send 'Right To Try' Bill To Trump’s Desk Next Week
“This will not only offer a chance for the patient to possibly find treatment but could open possibilities to help others do the same,” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said in a statement. “I am proud we will send this historic legislation to President Trump and offer hope to individuals and families facing dire circumstances.” In August, the Senate passed Right to Try by unanimous consent. The bill, which Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) championed, lets sick patients request access to treatments the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t yet approved. (Roubein, 5/17)
The Hill: Ryan: 'Compromise' In The Works For Controversial Drug Pricing Bill
Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Thursday that a compromise is being worked out on a controversial bill aimed at lowering drug prices, boosting hopes from supporters that the bill could move forward. Ryan said the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Judiciary Committee are working out a compromise on the legislation, known as the Creates Act. (Sullivan, 5/17)
Stat: FDA Looks At Ways To Include Price Info In Drug Ads, As Questions Loom
The commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Scott Gottlieb, said a proposal to have pharmaceutical companies include drug prices in advertisements has prompted a series of questions, including exactly how consumers would benefit and whether the government can legally require the disclosures. In an interview with STAT, Gottlieb said an agency working group would consider questions like those as it seeks to implement one of the Trump administration’s top proposals for lowering drug prices. (Swetlitz, 5/18)
Kaiser Health News: Vermont Legislators Pass A Drug Importation Law. So What?
This week, Vermont passed a first-in-the-nation law that would facilitate the state’s importation of prescription drugs wholesale from Canada. It represents the state’s effort to tackle head-on the issue of constantly climbing drug prices. Other states, including Louisiana and Utah, have debated similar legislation and are watching Vermont’s progress closely. (Luthra, 5/18)
Modern Healthcare: Shorter Breast Cancer Treatment Could Hurt Providers' Pockets
A widely used breast cancer drug is as effective over a shorter treatment cycle, according to new research. While shorter treatments expose patients to fewer side effects and reduce cost, they could also have a significant impact on a profitable stream of hospital revenue. Herceptin costs about $70,000 for a full year of weekly infusions that treat early-stage breast cancer. Women who used it for six months did just as well as those who received the treatment for a year, according to research from the University of Cambridge that involved more than 4,000 patients but has yet to be peer reviewed. (Kacik, 5/17)
Politico: Pulse Check: Azar To Drug Plan Critics: Bring On The Fight
HHS Secretary Alex Azar has a message for critics of the Trump administration's plan to lower drug prices: Bring it on. Drugmakers, pharmacy benefit managers and some physician groups have spent a week taking shots at the new effort — a reprise of how the industries banded together to stop a similar Obama-era initiative in 2016. On POLITICO’s “Pulse Check” podcast, Azar encouraged the players to engage with the administration. (Diamond, 5/17)
Kaiser Health News: Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Much Ado About Drug Prices
President Donald Trump’s blueprint to reduce drug prices frames almost as many questions as answers, but it does shine light on a vexing and complicated problem. Meanwhile, Vermont passed a law to do something that’s not in the president’s plan: import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. The state will need federal permission to do that, which is unlikely to be granted. And Timothy Jost, emeritus professor of law at Washington and Lee University in Virginia, discusses the state of the Affordable Care Act and what might be in the health law’s immediate future. (5/17)
