Welcome to the Week in Review.

CMS Model Could Expand Access to Sickle Cell Therapy

This week, CMS announced that 33 states, DC, and Puerto Rico will join an initiative intended to improve access and lower costs for gene therapies for sickle cell disease (SCD), a condition that disproportionately impacts Black and Latino communities. A continuation of the Biden administration’s model, the Cell & Gene Therapy Access model ties payment to clinical outcomes, aiming to expand access while holding drug companies accountable. With a massive price tag upwards of $2.8 million for SCD treatments, we’re encouraged to see CMS working to make these life-changing therapies more affordable and more widely accessible for patients. — [CMS, NIH, CMS, BioPharma Dive, Fierce Healthcare, BioPharma Dive, Pink Sheet, Healthcare Finance]

Big Pharma’s Discount Won’t Cut It

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and Pfizer announced a new direct-to-patient program this week, offering a “discounted” price on their blockbuster blood thinner Eliquis. While marketed as a win for patients, the new discounted price is still higher than what patients on Medicare will pay under the new Medicare Negotiation Program and will still be too high for many patients. In the wake of growing public and political pressure, this announcement comes just weeks after the Trump administration issued an executive order reviving the idea of ‘Most Favored Nation’ pricing including calling for direct-to-consumer sales at a lower price, and at a time when patients and the majority of Americans demand more action to lower drug prices. At the same time, BMS is actively trying to weaken Medicare negotiation, asking for the “maximum level of flexibility”. Make no mistake, pharma is looking for ways to stay ahead of reforms that threaten their pricing power. — [WSJ, Reuters, Endpoints]

FDA Proposes Tying Priority Approval Vouchers to Drug Affordability

In an interview with CNBC late last week, FDA Commissioner Makary said the agency would consider drug affordability as a factor in its new priority review voucher program. This announcement comes after the department introduced the new program last month, stating that its goal is to “reduce inefficiencies” and expedite decision-making. Though some experts have claimed the new voucher program doesn’t hold up to legal scrutiny, Makary and the FDA have stated they’re aiming to use the program as an incentive for companies that commit to lowering their drug prices — though we’re always on the lookout for pharma to try and game the system here too. — [CNBC, FDA, Inside Health Policy, BioSpace] 

In Case You Missed It

A new study found that just 2.5% of nearly 10,000 patents on small-molecule drugs cite government funding, despite the fact that 99% of drugs approved from 2010 to 2019 originated through NIH-funded research. It’s yet another example of a rigged system: Taxpayers fund the science, but pharma patents the profits. — [Nature Biotech, JAMA, Endpoints]

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