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Sen. Chuck Grassley on Monday accused Democrats of walking away from negotiations on a bill meant to lower prescription drug prices — a bill that has, until now, enjoyed more support from Democrats in the Senate than from most Republicans in the chamber. The Iowa Republican’s surprisingly public airing of grievances, in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, is the latest indication that Congress is unlikely to pass meaningful pharmaceutical industry reforms before November’s election. (Facher, 6/29)

Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) will re-introduce a drug pricing package (S. 2543) he assembled with the ranking member of his committee, Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and soon call on Senate leaders to allow debate on the measure, Grassley spokesman Michael Zona said. ... Both parties, with control of the Senate up for grabs in the November elections, swapped blame for inaction on drug prices. ... [Democratic Sen. Ron] Wyden noted that the House passed a measure to direct the government to demand lower prices from drugmakers last year (H.R. 3). Senate leaders, including Grassley, have said they won’t support that bill. (Rouff, 6/29)

Pharmaceutical companies have raised prices on 245 drugs since the first U.S. coronavirus case was reported on Jan. 20, according to a report released Sunday by an advocacy group. Sixty-one of the drugs that saw price increases are being used to treat COVID-19, and 30 are in clinical trials, the group Patients for Affordable Drugs said in its report. The price hikes are on par with increases the previous two years. (Bikales, 6/29)

And in other news about drug pricing --

Intercept Pharmaceuticals said Monday that the Food and Drug Administration rejected its drug to treat the fatty liver disease known as NASH — a decision that has obvious negative consequences for Intercept but could also raise concerns for other drugmakers developing similar treatments. According to a statement from Intercept, FDA officials determined the “predicted benefit” of the company’s drug called obeticholic acid, or OCA, “does not sufficiently outweigh the potential risks” to support approval as a treatment for patients with NASH. (Feuerstein, 6/29)

A U.K. pharmaceutical industry trade group has publicly reprimanded AstraZeneca (AZN) for failing to uphold the “high standards” expected of drug makers, after convening an advisory board meeting that an anonymous employee contended was really an improper marketing scheme. The reprimand comes amid ongoing concerns over industry advisory boards, which are regularly convened to discuss information about medicines — notably, medical study results — but have sometimes been criticized as marketing vehicles to sway physicians. (Silverman, 6/29)