Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Valeant Pharmaceuticals Under Federal Investigation For Drug Pricing Practices
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, which has come under fire for aggressively increasing the prices of its drugs, said late Wednesday that it had received two federal subpoenas related to its pricing, distribution and patient support practices. The subpoenas were issued by the United States attorney鈥檚 offices in Manhattan and Massachusetts. (Pollack, 10/14)
Valeant, which received the subpoenas recently, says they mostly requested information about its programs to help patients pay for the company鈥檚 drugs. 鈥淭he company is reviewing the subpoenas and intends to cooperate with the investigations,鈥 Valeant said in a statement. (Rockoff, 10/15)
For the first time, a consortium of top U.S. cancer hospitals will provide patients with guidance about the cost of drugs used in their treatment, helping address a concern for many people undergoing a major medical event - what the financial repercussions of their condition are. The information will supplement summaries that the group, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), has provided for 20 years on the effectiveness, side effects, and evidence backing the therapies. (Cortez, 10/15)
On Theranos Inc.鈥檚 website, company founder Elizabeth Holmes holds up a tiny vial to show how the startup鈥檚 鈥渂reakthrough advancements have made it possible to quickly process the full range of laboratory tests from a few drops of blood.鈥 The company offers more than 240 tests, ranging from cholesterol to cancer. It claims its technology can work with just a finger prick. Investors have poured more than $400 million into Theranos, valuing it at $9 billion and her majority stake at more than half that. ... But Theranos has struggled behind the scenes to turn the excitement over its technology into reality. (Carreyrou, 10/15)
The Food and Drug Administration was 鈥渓ax鈥 and 鈥減ermissive鈥 in its review of a blood-thinning drug designed to prevent strokes and clots in patients with a heart condition affecting millions of Americans, a watchdog group said Thursday. (Rein, 10/15)