Good morning, everyone, and how are you today? We are doing just fine, thank you, now that the Pharmalot campus has settled down. Our short people are off to their respective destinations — the local schoolhouse and gainful employment, to be specific — and the official mascot is snoozing happily in his corner. This leaves us to our own devices as we forage for interesting items. On that note, here is the latest menu of tidbits. So time to get cracking. Hope you have a splendid and productive day. And as always, do keep in touch. We appreciate the notes, ideas, and barbs …
An Indian government panel made a series of far-reaching recommendations, including granting compulsory licenses to any Indian drug maker to produce medicines without the consent of the patent holder, according to The Economic Times. The report also recommended putting a ceiling price on life-saving medicines after analyzing the Purchasing Power Parity of various countries, a standard followed in the majority of the Western world to fix medicine prices. About 30 percent of the medicines sold in India are patented.
In what is being called a novel bid to lower drug costs, AstraZeneca (AZN) has agreed to adjust the discounts that a Medicare Part D plan will receive for a treatment based on how patients respond — and the deal automatically lowers out-of-pocket costs for patients, as well, STAT says. The UPMC Health plan will pay less for the Brilinta blood thinner if it fails to prevent another attack over 12 months, or the health plan pays more if Brilinta works. Meanwhile, the patient copay will drop to $10, from $45, for a month’s supply, bringing the cost closer to a generic version of a rival drug.
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