Drugs

Senate Hearing to Tackle Drug Pricing

The Senate Finance Committee has announced a 1/29 hearing on “Drug Pricing in America: A Prescription for Change, Part I.” The 10:15 a.m. hearing will be chaired by chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA). It is the first in a series of hearings “scrutinizing prescription drug pricing and considering policy and oversight solutions to lower costs for American patients,” the committee says.

“As I’ve stated time and again, addressing the sky-high cost of prescription drugs is a priority for me and the Senate Finance Committee this Congress,” Grassley said. “We already know what the problem is. It’s time to look at bipartisan solutions and work to turn them into law.” Grassley last year gave a floor speech on transparency in prescription drug pricing and this month wrote an op-ed outlining his plan to reduce health care costs.

This Congress, Grassley re-introduced bipartisan legislation to stop anti-competitive pay-for-delay pharmaceutical deals in which branded companies pay their generic competitors not to compete as part of a patent settlement. Grassley also introduced bipartisan legislation to permit drug importation from approved pharmacies in Canada.

The committee will receive testimony from economists, a patient advocate and others. A witness list will be released shortly.

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

Read more

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