The loudest health care news of the day in Washington on March 8 was the parliamentary theater in the two House committees marking up the Republican legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare. The most significant event for the pharmaceutical industry, however, occurred a few blocks down Pennsylvania Ave. and wasn't webcast.
The Drug Pricing Summit Pharma Wasn't Invited To
Does the Trump-Cummings confab mean that drug makers are doomed to price negotiations in Medicare Part D? (Answer: Almost certainly not, but this is Trump we're talking about.)
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A Republican think tank suggested variations of the Most Favored Nation and international reference policies in Medicare and Medicaid, as well as tariffs and other trade levers to rebalance drug pricing disparities between US countries and abroad.
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The UK branded drug industry is calling for adjustments to be made to the UK voluntary scheme framework for branded medicines, after the payment rate increased to 22.9% for 2025. Meanwhile, the generics industry says the scheme is functioning “as intended” and opposes any changes.
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An initiative run by health technology appraisal (HTA) bodies in the US, Canada and England is looking at how non-traditional treatment benefits, such as the value of hope and scientific spillover, can inform appraisals and understanding of a product’s value.
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Pharmaceutical companies are being encouraged to reach out to NICE in relation to its HTA Innovation Lab, which provides a sandbox environment in which the health technology assessment body can test new methods of evaluating “innovative and disruptive” therapies.
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Experts say PBMs should become familiar with transparency rules and prepare to release data, although more legal wrangling could occur.
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Optum Rx, one of the largest PBMs in the US, declared it was the “first comprehensive, transparent pharmacy services company” after announcing several consumer-friendly changes.