We’re launching drug pricing news into your orbit no matter the forecast! Welcome to the Week In Review.
1. Hold the Applause
- A change to the payment model on out-of-pocket insulin costs for some Medicare beneficiaries President Trump announced this week fell far short of expectations. America needs more from its leaders to relieve the crushing financial burden born from rising prescription drug prices, and there are better solutions on the table that will help more Americans afford vital medicines. — (STAT)
2. We Deserve a Say
- Tens of millions of public dollars bankrolled the creation of Gilead’s remdesivir, a potential COVID-19 blockbuster. Yet the Big Pharma behemoth retains total control on setting a price. It’s plain wrong, and the public deserves to have a say on this potential pandemic drug’s final price. — (The Washington Post)
3. Set up to Pay Twice
- Pharma giant Merck announced Tuesday that the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority has promised $38 million toward the development of its COVID-19 vaccine. Once again, taxpayers are footing the bill for a vaccine without any guarantee that the final product will be affordable and accessible to everyone. — (FiercePharma)
4. “We must lift up our voices”
- “The government’s unwillingness to take action on drug pricing has been the struggle of my life,” writes Clayton “DJ” Martin, who lives with sickle cell disease. “If Big Pharma is allowed to retain systemic control of the drug industry during this pandemic, it will not be just you or me that suffer the consequences, but the country as a whole.” We agree with Martin on the dire need for drug affordability during COVID-19 and always. — (The Orlando Sentinel)
5. Pharma Amps Up Drug Ad Spending in Midst of Pandemic
- Sure, drugmakers could lower list prices as the country’s citizens reel from the economic impact of a once-in-a-lifetime public health crisis –– but instead, they’re taking advantage of a quarantined audience, pouring millions of dollars into TV ads in April alone. — (FiercePharma)