And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda is largely modest. We plan to devote our attention to the Pharmalot grounds, promenade with the official mascot, and escort Mrs. Pharmalot down memory lane. And what about you? This is a fine time to enjoy the great outdoors by taking a ride in the countryside or scavenging among yard sales. You may want to plan a summer getaway before prices rise still further. Or simply take stock, given recent geopolitical events. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you soon. …
Staff at U.S. health agencies fail to report suspected political interference that is inappropriately influencing government policymaking, STAT writes, citing a new report from a government watchdog. Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health all observed political interference, but they did not report it either due to fear of retaliation, a belief that higher ups were already aware of the pressure, or because they did not know how to report it. None of the agencies could identify any formally reported allegations of political interference during the last decade.
Canadian Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos explained that the government withdrew some of its long-promised drug-pricing reforms, which would have shaved billions off industry profits, in order to ensure a vibrant pharmaceutical industry in Canada, The Globe and Mail reports. The finalized reforms, announced late last week, will cut $2.9 billion from industry profits over a decade, rather than the $8.8 billion originally promised in 2019. Drug prices in Canada are, by some estimates, second- or third-highest in the world, but Duclos maintained the compromise will still yield “a longer-term fall in drug prices.”
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