It’s been a week.
1. Trump Issues EOs
- The president announced executive orders late Friday – like an international pricing index and Canadian drug importation – claiming that the moves would lower drug prices. The ultimate fate of the orders remains to be seen as the president plans to meet with pharmaceutical executives on Tuesday and implementation details remain in flux. — (Axios)
2. “That would be devastating for me”
- In a new video, patients from across the country make their voices heard: The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t made the issue of high drug prices go away, it has made it worse. And they deliver a message of hope and support as they call for drug pricing reform. — (P4AD)
3. It’s Apparent Now
- Pfizer signed a $1.95 billion contract with the U.S. government to produce 100 million doses of the company’s potential COVID-19 vaccine — about $20 a dose. That price is more than six times what AstraZeneca plans to charge for its vaccine. What Americans have suspected for months is now out in the open: Pfizer plans to profiteer off a pandemic. — (CNN)
4. The Pledges are PR Stunts
- At a Congressional hearing Tuesday, executives from giant drug corporations developing COVID-19 vaccines refused to promise to not profit over their coronavirus vaccines. If ever there were a time for Big Pharma to find its conscience, it would be now. Congress must take action to ensure pharmaceutical manufacturers don’t profiteer on the backs of patients in a pandemic. — (The New York Times)
5. States March Onward
- State legislatures continue to work on drug pricing bills, focusing on areas like transparency and the regulation of pharmacy benefit managers. We’re glad to see that states are setting up guardrails to defend patients from high drug prices, and we stand ready to assist in any way we can. — (FiercePharma)