(Reuters)—New Hampshire sued OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP on Tuesday, joining several state and local governments in accusing the drugmaker of engaging in deceptive marketing practices that have helped fuel a national opioid addiction epidemic. The lawsuit filed in Merrimack County Superior Court claimed that Purdue Pharma significantly downplayed the risk of addiction posed by…
Ethics Forum: Teach Rheumatology Fellows to Use Good Judgment in Pharmaceutical Company Interactions
We teach medical students, residents and fellows evidence-based medicine to lay the groundwork for rational prescribing and good clinical judgment. But should we stop our rheumatology fellows from interacting with pharmaceutical companies as part of this foundation? It is not surprising that pharmaceutical companies can influence physician prescribing through gifts. At least, it should not…
FDA Warns Mylan Over Quality Concerns at India Facility
(Reuters)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised concerns over quality controls at a Mylan NV manufacturing plant in India, according to a warning letter from the agency dated April 3. India-based drug manufacturing facilities have been criticized by the FDA in recent years for violating quality standards, as the agency increases oversight of…
Two U.S. Lawmakers Probe Marathon over $89,000 Drug Price
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—Two U.S. lawmakers have called on privately held Marathon Pharmaceuticals LLC to explain how it came to price its newly approved drug to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy at $89,000 a year when patients have for decades been able to acquire it overseas for as little as $1,000. The drug, Emflaza, known generically as deflazacort,…
Japan PM’s Advisers Urge Annual Review of Drug Prices
TOKYO (Reuters)—Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s economic advisers, hoping to curb Japan’s ballooning healthcare costs, proposed on Wednesday reforms to the way drug prices are set, a step opposed by foreign and domestic drug makers who say the changes will stifle investment. The proposals follow a decision to halve the price of Bristol Myers Squibb Co’s…
Can Anything Contain Drug Costs in the U.S.?
(Reuters Health)—The U.S., which spends more on drugs than any other country, might contain costs by limiting market exclusivity for brand name medicines and changing coverage requirements for government health plans, some doctors argue. Although brand-name drugs account for only 10% of all dispensed prescriptions in the U.S., they make up 72% of drug spending,…
Spanish Drugmaker Fears Disruption if EMA Moves from Britain
MADRID (Reuters)—The likely relocation of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) from London threatens to disrupt the approval of new drugs and is a medium and long-term worry for top Spanish drugmaker Almirall, its chief executive says on Monday. The EMA, Europe’s equivalent the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, approves medicines for all European Union countries…
U.S. Probes Contracts Between Drugmakers, Pharmacy Benefit Managers
(Reuters)—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is investigating contracts between drugmakers and companies that manage prescription benefits, according to regulatory filings. Federal prosecutors have approached at least three companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co. and Endo International Plc., demanding information about their contracts with pharmacy benefit managers. Pharmacy…
France Gets G7 to Discuss Global Regulation of Medicine Prices
PARIS (Reuters)—France will press its G7 partners this month to launch an “irreversible” process to control the prices of new medicines, part of a global drive to make life-saving drugs more affordable, three sources told Reuters. President Francois Hollande said in March he would push for the international regulation of drugs prices when he meets…
Market Turmoil Drives Small Biotechs to Big Pharma
(Reuters)—Numerous small biotechnology companies have been all but shut out of the capital markets, leaving many with no choice but to consider a sale to larger peers. The Nasdaq Biotech Index is down nearly 30% since September, when Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton criticized drug companies’ “price gouging” on Twitter and sparked concerns about a…