Rx Drugs

After his tenure ends Friday, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb will return to the conservative American Enterprise Institute, a group that has been a favorite resource on drug-pricing issues for Republicans.

The overhaul of the Medicare and Medicaid drug rebate systems would be handled as a voluntary two-year pilot starting in 2020, according to CMS guidance.

The House Ways & Means Committee is expected to hold a hearing next week on four bipartisan bills aimed at lowering prices after the House Energy & Commerce Committee this week passed six separate bipartisan bills aimed at speeding generic drug competition.

The White House budget staff are reviewing CMS’ final rule to lower Part D drug costs, which might include eliminating coverage protections in six drug classes, according to the Office of Management and Budget website.

FDA will host a public hearing on May 31 to gather information about the health and safety, manufacturing, product quality, marketing, labeling and sale of products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds, including cannabidiol (CBD), to help shape the agency’s regulatory oversight of cannabis, especially in food, the agency announced Tuesday (April 2).

Departing FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb plans to return to his role at the American Enterprise Institute as a resident fellow and focus on the hot-button issue of drug pricing, he told the Washington Post.

Rep. Mark Meadows (NC) is writing what he says is a comprehensive drug-pricing bill with fellow House Republicans that could expand rebate reforms to the commercial market, the Freedom Caucus chair told Inside Health Policy Wednesday (April 3).

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) applauded FDA for funding research on durations of use for antibiotics in food animals.

Ranking House Energy & Commerce Committee Republican Greg Walden (OR) said the two parties seem to have worked out differences on FDA-related drug pricing bills that the committee will mark up Wednesday (April 3).