Rx Drugs

White House Domestic Policy Advisor Joe Grogan suggested that lawmakers are close to an agreement on surprise billing legislation and believes that something will pass either stand alone or attached to drug pricing measures by the end of the year.

Humira revenues fell 33.5% internationally in the third quarter of this year due to biosimilar competition, according to AbbVie, while revenues increased 9.6% in the United States, where there is no biosimilar competition until 2023.

HHS has sued Gilead for patent infringement after the drug manufacturer repeatedly refused to obtain licenses for HHS patents on an HIV medication. The suit, filed in federal court in Delaware, alleges Gilead willfully infringed on patents given to HHS meant to protect the government’s work in developing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and has profited from research funded by taxpayers through the sale of the brand-name drugs Truvada and Descovy, according to HHS.

Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley suggested  Tuesday (Nov. 5) that he plans to file an updated drug pricing bill next week, and a White House official said the administration is working with the Iowa Republican and ranking Finance Democrat Ron Wyden (OR) on provisions to limit seniors’ monthly out-of-pocket costs and to help seniors with sharply rising insulin list prices.

The White House Office of Management and Budget is reviewing the controversial price transparency provisions in CMS’ proposed 2020 outpatient pay rule separately from the rest of the rule, according to the OMB website.

FDA needs new authority from Congress to monitor, in real time, information about facilities that produce active pharmaceutical ingredients, FDA drug center director Janet Woodcock told lawmakers during a House Energy & Commerce health subcommittee hearing Wednesday (Oct. 30).

The White House opposes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) government drug price negotiation bill, Domestic Policy Council chief Joe Grogan told Politico on Wednesday (Oct. 30).

During a House Energy & Commerce health subcommittee hearing on Wednesday (Oct. 30), FDA drug center director Janet Woodcock urged Congress to address loopholes in the agency’s authority that allow some active pharmaceutical ingredient suppliers and foreign finished product manufacturers to bypass facility registration and inspection requirements while still being able to ship and sell finished drug products in the United States.

The House on Monday (Oct. 28) unanimously passed legislation that would require HHS to publish pharmacy benefit managers’ aggregate rebates, discounts and price concessions and require plans to include real-time benefit information on drug costs in Medicare Part D.