Dec 08 U.S. is taking final steps to review the first COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s what’s next By Associated Press The Food and Drug Administration posted a positive review of the Pfizer vaccine on Tuesday and will hold a public hearing on Thursday. The Associated Press has a look at the process. Continue reading
Jan 23 Former Insys Therapeutics Chairman sentenced for role in opioid scheme By Collin Binkley, Associated Press The founder of an Arizona pharmaceutical company has been sentenced to 5 1/2 years in prison for his role in a bribery and kickback scheme that prosecutors said helped fuel the opioid crisis. John Kapoor, the 76-year-old former chairman of… Continue reading
Jul 12 The Trump administration’s move to shelve a plan aimed at lowering drug prices, explained By Laura Santhanam This week, the Trump administration reversed its position on reforming the drug rebate system. Analysts and advocates say there may be better approaches to lower out-of-pocket costs. Continue reading
Apr 24 Watch 6:14 How federal case against drug distributor could change opioid fight Amid the ongoing opioid epidemic, drug manufacturers, doctors and pharmacists have all come under fire. But it's a drug distributor, a company called RDC, at the center of a new federal criminal case that equates its business operations with illegal… Continue watching
Feb 26 WATCH: Drug companies ‘bear none of the consequences’ of skyrocketing prices, Sen. Wyden says By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Matthew Perrone, Associated Press The hearing marks the first time lawmakers have called top industry executives to account for rising prices that are squeezing Americans. Continue reading
Jan 14 House Democrats announce they are investigating drug pricing By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press House Democrats announced a sweeping investigation Monday of the pharmaceutical industry's pricing practices, jockeying for the upper hand with the Trump administration on an issue that concerns Americans across the political spectrum. Continue reading
Aug 11 Watch 11:08 Do prescription drug middlemen help keep prices high? By Megan Thompson, Mori Rothman Americans pay more for prescription drugs than any country in the world, and the pharmaceutical industry earns billions in profits each year. Critics blame pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, for a portion of those high costs through their role as… Continue watching
Jun 30 Justice Department announces crackdown on fraudulent opioid prescriptions By Lev Facher, STAT Federal agencies on Thursday announced charges in what Attorney General Jeff Sessions called “the largest health care fraud takedown in American history,” an investigation into over $2 billion in alleged fraud by doctors, pharmacists, and nurses. Continue reading
May 23 Column: Not sure what to make of Trump’s drug prices plan? Here’s where to start By Philip Moeller Rushing to judgment is misguided. There are no quick fixes here, and while the Trump proposals are viewed as fatally flawed by many experts, they also include some worthy ideas. Continue reading
Jun 07 Nevada bill would require insulin makers to post profits By Emily Kopp, Kaiser Health News The cost of insulin medications has steadily risen over the past decade by nearly 300 percent. Continue reading