Top of the morning to you, and a fine one it is. After a quick out-of-town speaking engagement, we have happily returned to the Pharmalot campus, where we awoke to sunny skies and a bit of a nip in the air. Certainly nice to be back in the groove, as they say, and to celebrate, we have fired up the coffee kettle to enjoy a cup or three of stimulation. Feel free to join us. After all, no prescription is required. So no need to fuss over rebates or authorization to try a different flavor. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits. Hope all goes well and do keep in touch.
As voting neared on the House drug pricing bill, the legislation has prompted a barrage of advertising from the pharmaceutical industry in newspapers that circulate in Washington, D.C., STAT reports. The ads are unlikely to prevent the House from passing the bill, but are emblematic of a larger truth in Washington: Never underestimate deep industry pockets when it comes to drug pricing legislation. And the last-minute blitz is already being decried by drug pricing advocates.
Congressional progressives secured a series of changes to the sweeping drug pricing bill the House is considering this week in return for dropping a threat to upend the vote altogether, STAT says. The changes do not significantly change the reforms, but include a slight increase in the number of drugs that would be negotiated by Medicare each year, from 35 to 50, and a provision that will pave the path, but not explicitly enact, a policy meant to block drug makers from hiking their prices more than inflation.
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