Drugs

PhRMA ‘Not Responsive’ on Drug Price Questions: Letter

Several senators and representatives say Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) provided misleading information to them in response to their letter asking about high drug prices. In a statement (contains links to letters to and from PhRMA), the members of Congress say their 3/1 letter to PhRMA expressed concern over findings from two new analyses showing “troubling, widespread, and rapid price increases for brand name drugs in January” and sought an explanation for how and why drug manufacturers imposed the increases.

They say PhRMA’s response “failed to answer key questions. Instead, the trade group for brand drug companies provided misleading information about brand drug manufacturers’ price increases and their impact on patients at the pharmacy counter, shifting blame from drug manufacturers, who have a long history of using their monopoly power to raise prices, to other actors in the drug delivery chain.”

According to the congressional group, “your letter was simply unresponsive to our concerns, leading to one clear conclusion: there is no good explanation for drug manufacturers’ behavior other than corporate profiteering.”

The letter identifies these problems with the PhRMA response:

PhRMA provided misleading information about brand drug manufacturers’ price increases;
PhRMA provided misleading information about the impact of drug manufacturers’ price increases on patients at the pharmacy counter; and
PhRMA also misled by attempting to shift blame away from drug manufacturers.

The lawmakers gave PhRMA until 3/22 to provide full and complete responses to their questions.

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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