Drugs

Drug Company CEOs Reluctant to Pledge to Hold Prices

A Public Citizen survey finds few major drug company CEOs willing to commit to limiting drug price increases. The group says in a report that only AbbVie, Novo Nordisk, and Valeant were willing to match an Allegan 9/6/16 blog post committing to restricting annual price increases of their drug products to single digits. The advocacy group contacted the world’s top 29 drug companies by revenue to pose the question. Many companies did not respond and many others declined to pledge price limits.

In January, the report says, median prices for prescription drugs increased 8.9% on average, or roughly four times higher than the overall inflation rate, and more than double medical inflation. It says the Wall Street Journal found that drug corporations increased the wholesale prices for the 30 top-selling drugs by an average of 76% from 2010-2014, more than eight times the level of general inflation.

“Committing to the Allergan standard still would allow corporations to raise prices every year well ahead of the rate of inflation and medical inflation,” Public Citizen says. “It is a modest check on the extent of industry price abuse.”

The report determined that only three additional companies would join the Allergan pledge based on responses to its survey and publicly available company statements. Some companies indicated a one-year commitment to holding increases to single digits, but no commitment beyond the first year.

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton’s responses on vaccines, contraception and abortion medication during her 9/24 Senate confirmation hearing raise concerns that ideology could influence her decision-making if she takes over the agency, MSNBC senior medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta said Friday. Gupta was particularly critical of Overton’

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton emerged from her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday (see earlier story) without resolving questions about whether she has enough Republican support to advance — and with a rapidly narrowing window for confirmation before the midterm elections. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing provided few

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA has classified Boston Scientific's recall of its Imager II Angiographic Catheters as Class I because a manufacturing problem could cause catheter tips to degrade and detach, potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. The agency announced the Class I classification 9/25, updating an Early Alert it issued

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

FDA has approved Roche’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for reducing the risk of relapse in adults and children aged 2 and older with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome who are in remission. The expanded approval covers the use of the CD20-directed antibody beyond its existing

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Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome