Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was invigorating and refreshing, because that oh-so familiar routine of online meetings, phone calls, and deadlines has returned. But you knew this would happen, yes? After all, the world, such as it is, continues to spin. So time to give it a nudge in a better direction with a cup or two of stimulation. As we fire up the coffee kettle, we are reaching for hazelnut mocha. Please feel free to join us. Meanwhile, we have assembled a few items of interest to help you get started. We hope you have a smashing day and achieve your wildest dreams. And of course, please do keep in touch. …
The list of the first 10 drug prices negotiated for Medicare may emerge as a double-edged sword in pending litigation between the Biden administration and pharmaceutical industry, intensifying the debate over the legal future of the program, Bloomberg Law writes. Nine lawsuits filed by drug companies and trade groups are working their way through the courts. The list of negotiated prices is one piece of a puzzle that has been the foundation of several claims debating how far the government will go with price cuts. The unveiled prices may serve to either give a much needed boost in support for theories that the program causes financial harm to drugmakers, or further bolster U.S. claims that an actual negotiation took place.
As the Federal Trade Commission scrutinizes the pharmaceutical industry, there is growing debate about whether the regulator may next target a deal that some experts say could make it easier for Novo Nordisk to boost production of a key drug — at the expense of competitors, STAT explains. At issue is a complicated transaction sparked by sporadic shortages of one of the world’s hottest-selling medications — the weight loss treatment Wegovy. The deal is designed to solve what has been a critical and seemingly intractable problem for the company, but it is also raising questions about fair play and the longer-term effect on consumers.
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