Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Would A 'Netflix' Subscription Model Work For Pricey Hep C Drugs? Louisiana Wants To Find Out
Stat: Louisiana Explores A 'Netflix' Subscription Model For Buying Hepatitis C Drugs
In a bid to lower its costs for hepatitis C medicines, Louisiana officials are exploring a novel approach in which the state would make subscription-based payments to drug makers. Essentially, the state would agree to pay a fixed amount of money over several years for unlimited access to medication for anyone who is enrolled in the state Medicaid program or incarcerated in a state prison. Some details need to be worked out, but payments to one or more companies would be equal to or less than what the state is currently spending to provide hepatitis C medicines to these populations. (Silverman, 8/8)
In other drug pricing news —
The Wall Street Journal: New Marijuana-Based Epilepsy Treatment To Cost $32,500 A Year
GW Pharmaceuticals PLC said it plans to charge about $32,500 per patient annually in the U.S. for its new treatment for rare forms of epilepsy, the first prescription drug derived from the marijuana plant. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex, also known as cannabidiol, in June to reduce seizures associated with forms of epilepsy known as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, in patients 2 years of age and older. (Loftus, 8/8)
Stat: Trump Takes A New Tone With Drug Makers: Gratitude
The drug industry’s much-publicized pledges not to hike their prices — however temporary they might be — are clearly keeping President Trump happy. Tuesday, at a dinner at his New Jersey golf course, Trump didn’t accuse the industry of “getting away with murder,” or lament “RIPOFF” prices, as he has in the past. Instead, he offered his gratitude. ... He took credit for the announcements — first from Pfizer, and then from other companies like Novartis and Merck — that the companies would temporarily avoid increasing their prices, or that they would roll back recently instituted price increases, sometimes on drugs that are prescribed infrequently. (Swetlitz and Facher, 8/8)
