Drugs

DTC Drug Pricing Amendment Shot Down on Hill

House Republicans last week derailed a Trump-supported amendment to a health care spending bill that would have required drug companies to include prices in their direct-to- consumer advertising. Last month, the Senate passed the bipartisan amendment introduced by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) that would have provided Health and Human Services with $1 million to implement rules requiring pharmaceutical companies to list prices of their prescription drugs in direct-to-consumer advertisements. “The amendment helps to empower patients, promote transparency and lower prescription drug costs,” Grassley said in a release at the time. The amendment was part of the Defense-Labor-HHS-Education appropriations “minibus” package.

Lawmakers and aides say that during a conference committee that was finalizing the spending measure, House Republicans objected to the amendment. Durbin complained that drug company influence killed the provision. “When are we going to stand up to Big Pharma?” he asked. Shortly thereafter, Grassley sent a tweet saying: “It is EMBARRASSING to bow to BIG PHARMA at expense of consumers.”

Last month, Washington Legal Foundation litigation division senior counsel Cory Andrews said the notion of including list prices in drug direct-to-consumer ads could not survive a First Amendment challenge and is outside of FDA’s regulatory authority (see story).

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