CER Daily Newsfeed

PhRMA CEO: 'Most-Favored Nation' Policy Isn't the Way to Lower Drug Prices

(6/26, Stephen J. Ubl, STAT+) comments “...All told, PBMs, insurers, hospitals, and others now siphon off 50 cents of every $1 spent on brand medicines. Policymakers recognize the system is broken and are advancing reforms to fix it. Those reforms include boosting transparency into how PBMs operate and profit, delinking their compensation from the price of medicines, and ensuring that negotiated savings are passed through to patients at the pharmacy counter. On the hospital side, lawmakers are also exploring potential reforms. Congress should require hospitals and clinics to use 340B savings to help low-income and uninsured people afford their medicine, refocus eligibility so that only true safety-net providers participate, and establish stronger transparency and accountability measures to ensure the program delivers on its original intent.” Subscription Required

The Drug-Price Surrender to China

(6/25, Richard Burr, The Wall Street Journal) comments “...Instead of pushing allies to pay a fair price for life-changing medicine, a most-favored-nation regime would import the same price controls other countries achieve by restricting access to care and underpaying for U.S.-developed therapies. It would peg our prices to what foreign bureaucrats think a drug is worth, often using outdated formulas that assign a value of less than $40,000 to a year of human life.” Subscription Required

Study Finds Trump's Most Favored Nation Drug Proposal Could Still Raise Out-of-Pocket Costs Without PBM Reform

(6/25, Pioneer Institute) comments “...‘We can say with confidence that pharmacy benefit managers are profiting substantially from rebates, fees, and concessions tied to popular medications commonly prescribed to seniors,’ said Dr. Bill Smith, co-author of the brief with Dr. Robert Popovian. ‘These rebate payments can reach into the billions each year, creating strong incentives for PBMs to maintain the current system, even though many seniors on Medicare cannot afford the rising out-of-pocket costs. Policymakers must address this imbalance and ensure drug pricing works for patients, not just middlemen.’” Full

IQVIA Wins the Fierce CRO Award for Innovative Approaches to Patient-Centric Research

(6/25, IQVIA Blog) comments “...‘This award is a powerful validation of how our teams deliver technology solutions that drive better patient experiences and trial outcomes,’ said Susan Hill, Senior Vice President of Product Management, Digital Products & Solutions at IQVIA. ‘It’s a moment of pride—and a motivator. This award tells us we’re making a meaningful difference with our customers, and it inspires us to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in clinical research.’” Full

CSL Behring’s Therapy for Hereditary Angioedema Receives Positive Assessment in Germany

(6/26, Ella Day, Pharmafile) reports “CSL Behring has announced a key milestone for its hereditary angioedema (HAE) therapy, garadacimab, following a positive benefit assessment by Germany’s Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). The agency concluded there is a ‘hint of considerable additional benefit’ for garadacimab compared to existing HAE prophylaxis therapies, based on robust indirect comparisons using placebo-controlled data.” Full

Denmark Introduces First Confidential Pricing Framework For Primary Care Medicines

(6/26, Francesca Bruce, Pink Sheet) reports “...Expanded confidential pricing for pharmaceuticals is intended to help manage medicines expenditure, according to Amgros, the procurement agency that will negotiate the prices.” Subscription Required