Welcome to the Week in Review.

Pharma’s Excessive Prices Hikes

The new report from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) on price increases of prescription drugs in the U.S. established that five of the top 10 drugs with price hikes above the rate of inflation — Biktarvy, Darzalex, Entresto, Cabometyx, and Xeljanz — lacked significant clinical evidence to justify the price increases. These unjustified hikes drove $815 million in additional costs for patients and taxpayers in 2023, boosting pharmaceutical industry profits while burdening those who depend on these essential medicines. Notably, Entresto is among the first 10 drugs selected for Medicare negotiation, a critical step in addressing price gouging under the Inflation Reduction Act. Earlier this year, P4AD highlighted similar practices with regard to cancer drugs in a mini report, showing how pharma price hikes disproportionately harm Black and Latino patients. While Big Pharma’s price gouging has begun to be reined in by the Inflation Reduction Act, we need to continue to fight for systemic reforms to ensure that all patients can access the medicines they need at prices they can afford. — (ICER, STAT, NBC News, P4AD)

Inhaler Pricing Schemes

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) continues to face backlash from patients and legislators over its decision last year to discontinue its popular Flovent asthma inhaler, used widely by children living with asthma, and replace it with a more costly generic version that lacks coverage from many insurers. Senator Elizabeth Warren sent another letter to GSK this week, raising concerns about the decision and highlighting findings from Johns Hopkins University that the discontinuation of Flovent HFA cost Medicaid programs nearly $1 billion in 2024. This move by GSK has left families scrambling to find affordable inhaler alternatives and disproportionately harms Black and Latino children who are diagnosed with asthma at higher rates. This blatant profiteering not only undermines patient access but also exacerbates health disparities, underscoring the urgent need for stronger oversight to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable and legislation to crack down on anti-competitive tactics. — (USA Today, Sierra Sun Times, Managed Healthcare Executive, US News)

Big Pharma’s Patent Abuses Cost Patients & Taxpayers

A new report from Public Citizen found that manufacturers of nine of the 10 drugs selected for negotiation by Medicare engaged in rampant anti-competitive tactics to block generic competition and artificially prolong monopoly periods. The report also highlighted that four of the selected drugs — Stelara, Xarelto, Januvia, and Enbrel — would likely have faced generic competition before negotiated prices went into effect, potentially saving Medicare up to $5.4 billion during that period — almost as much as the $6 billion of expected savings from negotiations in the first year. These inflated prices force patients to make impossible choices, like skipping doses or draining their savings, just to access the medicines they need. To achieve truly fair pricing, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) must account for these anti-competitive tactics during the negotiation process and ensure the final prices reflect the harm caused by such abuses. — (Public Citizen, CMS)

ICYMI

P4ADNOW was disappointed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) decision to withdraw its proposed rule on “terminal disclaimer practice” to address drug manufacturers’ nonstatutory double patenting. This commonsense rule had the potential to curb the use of patent thickets, an abusive tactic used by the pharmaceutical industry to block competition and keep prices high for patients.

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