Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Some Worry Trade Deal Will Make It Harder To Bring Generic Drugs To Market
The Fiscal Times: Will This Trade Deal Block Some Generic Drugs From The U.S.?
The prospect of a bipartisan deal on trade between the Republican-led Congress and President Obama has Democrats and consumer advocates worried. A big concern is the deal’s treatment of pharmaceutical patent protections that could make generic drugs harder to bring to market. (Garver, 4/16)
The New York Times: Generic Version of Copaxone, Multiple Sclerosis Drug, Is Approved
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first generic substitute for Copaxone, a widely used drug for multiple sclerosis and the biggest-selling product for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. The approval of the generic, which was developed by the team of Sandoz and Momenta Pharmaceuticals — could bring some price competition to the market for multiple sclerosis drugs. Prices for those drugs have tripled in the last several years, to over $60,000 a year, even as more products have come to market. (Pollack, 4/16)
