�鶹Ů��

Here's one thing you and Big Pharma probably have in common: being on edge about the U.S. presidential election. A single tweet by Hillary Clinton last November about high drug prices helped sink the Nasdaq Biotech Index by 4.4 percent. A similar tweet in late August this year had a similar effect. But there's a quieter upcoming vote that should arguably worry biotech and pharma companies more. In a little place called California, the sort of price-control legislation seen as a potentially negative (though unlikely) result of a Clinton presidency actually looks like it might pass. (Max Nisen, 9/30)

California may soon drive a hole through Washington’s tolerance for — and protection of — price gouging on drugs. A measure on the November ballot, Proposition 61, would bar state agencies from paying more for prescription drugs than the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs does. Congress generally prohibits the U.S. government from negotiating prescription drug prices. The VA is an exception. Federal law ensures that it obtains a discount of at least 24 percent off a drug’s list price. (Froma Harrop, 10/3)

Blatant price-gouging by EpiPen-maker Mylan and other pharmaceutical companies has stoked public outrage about the high cost of prescription drugs. Meanwhile, the emergence of a new class of exceptionally expensive specialty drugs has caused budget nightmares for state governments. But in California, even modest efforts to require drugmakers to reveal more about how they set their prices have been stymied by lawmakers sympathetic to the industry. (10/4)

[W]e must oppose Prop. 61, despite our disgust with the industry-bankrolled disingenuous advertising blitz. It is important to note that an array of consumer and health-advocate organizations that have no love for the pharmaceutical industry are opposed to Prop. 61. A link between Medi-Cal and the VA is not necessarily a good corollary; their respective patient bases have different demographics and medical needs. Also, the fear of reduced access to certain drugs is legitimate: It would rely to some extent on the good faith of an industry whose greedy practices were the inspiration for this initiative. (9/22)

California voters can expect to be hit with tens of millions of dollars in prescription drug industry-funded political advertising warning that passage of Proposition 61 — a measure to cap drug prices — will stifle the industry’s ability to develop new life-saving drugs. This is a well-worn scare tactic used by drug-industry giants whenever the exorbitant prices of their drugs are challenged. It is a claim that is factually shaky, if not fraudulent. I can say this because I worked for more than three years as government-affairs director for Gilead Sciences, the patent holder of the two hepatitis C drugs whose huge price tags have shaken Medicaid budgets nationwide and put the cost of treatment for many patients out of reach. (David W. Poole, 9/30)

If you want to know why nurses across California are campaigning for Proposition 61, here’s one thing Long Beach nurses increasingly see. Patients provided a heart stent for serious coronary disease sent home with directions to take anti-platelet drugs for continuing therapy, are returning to the ER with serious chest pain. Or dying before they get there. Why? They can’t afford the high out-of-pocket cost for their medication. (Margie Keenan, 9/30)

There’s much about the business of medicine that is praiseworthy and inspiring. From fighting superbugs, to trying to solve Alzheimer’s, to exploring our many microbes, there are a lot of big, important problems out there for drug companies to solve. But medicine is big business and sometimes drug companies, in the pursuit of profits, pull shenanigans. (Luke Timmerman and Meg Tirrell, 9/29)

Three groups will be especially hard hit by today's inflated drug prices: the uninsured, people with high-deductible health insurance plans and those with large co-payments for their prescriptions. Because Congress shows little interest in addressing the issue, individuals must devise their own strategies to decrease their drug bills. (Clif Cleaveland, 10/4)

Americans love their prescription drugs, and aren’t shy about having plenty on hand. Last year, U.S. pharmacies filled more than 4 billion prescriptions, up from 3 billion in 2001. But how do people feel about drug prices? Let’s just say the pharmaceutical industry shouldn’t pack up its army of lobbyists and public relations people just yet. In fact, they might want to hire a few more. According to a new Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, 77 percent of Americans said the cost of drugs was “unreasonable”—up from 72 percent a year ago. (John Russell, 10/3)

Go online today, and there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be bombarded with ads for “cheap prescription drugs” from online pharmacies promising bargain basement prices. Consumers can’t be blamed for clicking on these advertisements in attempts to find the best deals available for themselves and their families. But oftentimes these sites are distribution centers for unregulated, illegally imported, and even counterfeit prescription medications. (Sally Greenberg, 10/4)