About pharma
DOJ inks price fixing settlement with small generics player. Will others follow?: “Under a deferred prosecution agreement, Rising Pharmaceuticals admitted to price fixing and working with a competitor to rig the market on” hypertension drug Benazepril HCTZ. Seems like the DOJ’s strategy is to go after the smaller companies before finalizing agreements with such giants as Teva.
Amgen snags another Enbrel outcomes-based payment deal as it seeks to prop up aging blockbuster: One strategy companies are now using to extend revenue from drugs going off patent is inking deals with payers for outcome-based payments. In the latest of these deals, Amgen signed an outcomes-based contract for use of Enbrel with pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) Abarca.
Senate panel advances Trump’s nominee for FDA commissioner: The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions approved Dr. Stephen Hahn to be the next Food and Drug Administration commissioner, sending his nomination to the full Senate.
Comments on Pelosi drug pricing bill: The White House Council on economic advisors issued two cautions about Speaker Pelosi’s drug pricing bill. The first claim is that it will cost $1 trillion per decade due to lost innovations. The related concern is that by lowering drug prices and thus stifling innovation, the country will be deprived of 100 new drugs over that time. These figures don’t jibe with other estimates. For example, the “CBO analysis estimated Ms. Pelosi's bill would save Medicare $345 billion over seven years and result in eight to 15 fewer drugs hitting the market…” The assumption is that the forgone new drugs would be of significant public value, not “me-too” medications.
About the public’s health
HHS seeks to end HIV epidemic with Ready, Set, PrEP initiative: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a new initiative to help to to end the HIV epidemic by 2030: “The Ready, Set, PrEP program, which will make pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) medications available at no cost for qualifying patients…
HHS will initially be covering the costs of dispensing medication, but after March 30, 2020, CVS Health, Walgreens and Rite Aid will be donating their pharmacy dispensing services to the government agency, allowing consumers access to free PrEP medications either in person or via no-cost delivery by mail. Patients will also have access to counseling and steps to promote medication adherence.”
Survey: 37 percent of Americans plan to skip flu vaccine this season: “A survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago found those who don't plan to get shots have concerns about the side effects of the vaccine or think it doesn't work very well.
Others said they never get the flu, don't like needles or are concerned they will get the flu from the vaccine.”
This public health problem creates a real opportunity for effective social marketing initiatives.