Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
These Charities Are Meant To Help Patients Pay For Drugs. But Critics Say They're Just A Marketing Arm Of Pharma
USA Today: Drug Copay Assistance Keeps Patients Alive And Prices, Premiums High
Copayment assistance groups, created to help patients with the increasingly higher price of drugs to treat medical conditions, are under investigation by federal authorities for possibly skewing the cost of health care to favor drug companies. The probes, noted by several drug makers in their regulatory filings, are slowing contributions to at least two of these assistance groups, charities that sometimes pay top executives salaries of $300,000 or more. Critics of these groups, such as Patients for Affordable Drugs founder David Mitchell, say they drive up the cost of health care by masking the price of drugs and forcing higher costs on the insurance companies that pass them along to consumers and employers. (O'Donnell, Robinson, Alltucker and Freeman, 4/26)
The Washington Post: Why Drug Companies See Rare-Disease Patients As Human Jackpots
The swelling attacks come on without warning. Loukisha Olive-McCoy’s lower lip puffs up; then her cheeks and jaw twist and pull, distorting her face into an involuntary grimace. Sometimes her tongue will fill up the back of her throat and choke off her breathing. Olive-McCoy, 44, has hereditary angioedema (HAE), a life-threatening disease so rare that many doctors have only read about it. Fortunately, there are cutting-edge drugs to keep the swelling at bay and treat the attacks that break through. (Johnson, 4/25)
Kaiser Health News: Dissecting The Rhetoric Vs. Reality Of Trump’s Tough Talk On Drug Prices
President Donald Trump has railed against the high price of prescription drugs and famously bemoaned how pharmaceutical companies are “getting away with murder.” Yet, many Americans aren’t seeing a change in what they pay out-of-pocket. Trump promised a speech on prescription drug prices, and it’s expected anytime.Here’s a look at the rhetoric thus far versus the results. (Tribble, 4/27)
And in other pharmaceutical news —
The Hill: Experimental Drugs Bill Runs Aground Despite Trump, Pence Support
Advocates for White House–backed legislation intended to make it easier for sick patients to get access to experimental drugs are frustrated, believing that congressional momentum behind “right to try” has ground to a halt. Despite vocal support from President Trump and Vice President Pence, the House and Senate have made little if any progress on bridging differences with each other over separate bills that have passed each chamber. (Roubein, 4/26)
Stat: FDA Could Re-Examine Safety Of Acadia Pharma Drug
Acadia Pharmaceuticals’ (ACAD) share price has flagged since an April story by CNN that highlighted serious and sometimes fatal side effects tied to Nuplazid, its recently approved treatment for symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Now FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has promised to “go back and take another look.” And that could mean bringing Nuplazid in front of another FDA advisory panel, which would allow outside experts to take a second, closer look at the drug’s safety profile. (Garde and Feuerstein, 4/26)
Stat: Two FDA Officials To Retire From Drug Review Divisions
Two Food and Drug Administration directors will retire this week, according to the agency. The departures leave three of the FDA’s 19 drug review divisions without permanent leaders. Dr. Curtis Rosebraugh, who runs an office that oversees three drug review divisions, will be leaving the FDA. Also retiring is Dr. Donna Griebel, who directs the division that reviews drugs for gastrointestinal disease and some metabolic diseases. Both are retiring effective Saturday; neither returned a request for comment. (Swetlitz, 4/26)
Stat: New York Panel Votes To Lower The Cost Of A Pricey Vertex Drug For Cystic Fibrosis
In the first test of a new law designed to lower drug costs, a New York state panel voted unanimously to seek an additional rebate for a pricey cystic fibrosis drug for the state Medicaid program. The decision comes in response to concerns that the medicine, which is called Orkambi and has a list price of $272,000, may cause the state Medicaid program to exceed a cap on drug spending. In a 10-to-0 vote, the state Department of Health was authorized to negotiate with Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) for a rebate that would bring the cost down to about $83,200 and match cost effectiveness estimates. (Silverman, 4/26)
