Pharma vs The IRA — Industry Leaders React To Merck Lawsuit

Execs offer a guarded reaction, noting the need for continued dialogue, but emphasize the dire threat that the pricing program poses to the pharma business model.

business people on the move
Which way will industry move after the Merck lawsuit? • Source: Shutterstock

After news that Merck & Co., Inc. filed a lawsuit against the US government over Medicare drug pricing negotiation policies in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) broke on 6 June, one question now is if more companies will follow Merck’s lead. 

While the drug negotiation policies are expected to have a more direct impact on big pharma companies initially, biotech companies...

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 Pricing Debate

Most Favored Nation Pricing: Trump Ups Pressure On Voluntary Action, Clarifies Demands

 

The new 60-day deadline for striking a deal with the drug industry underscores the challenges the Administration may be having in developing non-voluntary policies to achieve MFN pricing in the US.

340B Rebate Model Gets HRSA Endorsement; Pilot Program Limited To Medicare Negotiated Drugs

 
• By 

Pilot is harbinger of greater transparency in the 340B program. But rebates may only be denied by manufacturers for overlap with Medicare negotiated prices, not for issues like diversion that have driven recent lawsuits.

Medicare Part B ASP Proposal Sets ‘Guardrails’ Around Bona Fide Service Fee Reporting

 
• By 

Average sales prices, and Medicare spending on some drugs, would be expected to be lower, CMS says in the Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule.

Merck’s Keytruda Gains Medicare Negotiation Reprieve With Expanded Orphan Exemption

 
• By 

Bristol Myers Squibb’s Opdivo and Merck's Welireg also could benefit from the delay in Medicare price negotiation process eligibility.

More from Market Access

UK Approves Biogen’s Qalsody After England Revises Reimbursement Approach

 

Biogen has U-turned on its original decision not to file Qalsody for marketing approval in the UK for treating certain patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The move appears to have been triggered by a change in the reimbursement pathway agreed for the product.

Big PBM Dominance Enabled By Affiliated Third Party Administrators Limiting Choices, FTC Told

 
• By 

Complaints about TPAs offer an explanation of why self-funded employers continue to use the big three PBMs despite concerns about those relationships. Proposed solutions include banning retaliatory fees and data withholding.

England’s NICE Hunts For New Chief As Sam Roberts Prepares To Step Down

 

Sam Roberts, chief executive of the health technology assessment institute, NICE, will step down from her role at the end of the year. The agency is now on the lookout for a new leader, who will be the fourth in its history.