Prying Apart a Fragile Coalition?

Calls to standardize and simplify Medicare Part D may not sound too threatening to Big Pharma, but any changes to the structure of the program could have important implications for industry. If plans can't innovate on design they will be forced to push for even better prices on drugs.

But there are at least three reasons for the pharmaceutical industry to hope that the insurance industry’s attempts at self-regulation will stave off legislation to standardize Part D plan designs.

First and foremost, any simplification of the program is likely to mean a further consolidation of buying power in the Part D market. If, for example, Congress were to direct...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Pink Sheet for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

More from Market Access

US FDA’s Familiar Drug Pricing To-Do List

 

President Trump’s new Executive Order on drug pricing reprises several policy themes from his first administration, including giving the FDA many tasks intended to increase competition in the marketplace.

Why Hympavzi Secured English Funding For Hemophilia B But Not Hemophilia A

 

Pfizer told the Pink Sheet it would work with the health technology assessment institute, NICE, with the hope of making Hympavzi available to patients with hemophilia A via the National Health Service.

US Most Favored Nations Policy: Higher Drug Spending In Germany Is ‘Difficult To Imagine’

 

Germany’s federal health care decision-making body, the G-BA, tells the Pink Sheet that German drug prices are fair and speculation of price rises in the market due to the US MFN policy is fear mongering.

Japan Reimburses 11 New Drugs But Slashes Price Of Others By Up To 20%

 
• By 

Japan's NHI program continues to give and take as 11 new drugs are granted reimbursement, while the prices of others - including three ophthalmic therapies - are cut by up to 20% under a Market Expansion Repricing scheme.

More from Pink Sheet

EU To Track Decentralized Clinical Trials In CTIS To Support Innovation

 
• By 

Monitoring the use of decentralized elements in clinical trials is a priority for the European medicines regulatory network.

Why Hympavzi Secured English Funding For Hemophilia B But Not Hemophilia A

 

Pfizer told the Pink Sheet it would work with the health technology assessment institute, NICE, with the hope of making Hympavzi available to patients with hemophilia A via the National Health Service.

Europe’s UPC Issues Landmark Ruling On Second Medical Use Claims

 

The verdict by the Unified Patent Court in the dispute between Sanofi/Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Amgen explains what companies should look out for when deciding whether infringement has taken place when it comes to second medical use patents.