Pharmaceuticals

President Trump's budget request includes provisions that could affect drug prices.

Health & Safety

Trump's Budget Proposal Swings At Drug Prices But May Land Only A Glancing Blow

1:38pm February 13, 2018

by Sarah Jane Tribble

The Trump administration rolled out a list of actions in its budget proposal to attack drug prices, but most of the measures dance around the edges of the problem.

Alex Azar will take over the Department of Health and Human Services at a time when rising drug prices are a huge political issue.

Former Drug Industry Executive Will Lead Dept. Of Health And Human Services

4:13pm January 24, 2018

by Alison Kodjak

Alex Azar spent five years in charge of Eli Lilly & Co.'s U.S. operations. During his tenure, the prices for the company's insulin products more than doubled.

Dr. Ronald Cirillo helps Deborah Hatfield fill out paperwork at a Florida clinic, before running a test to see whether she has hepatitis C.

From Retirement To The Front Lines Of Hepatitis C Treatment

11:17pm January 02, 2018

by Julio Ochoa

Treatment for hepatitis C has improved dramatically in the last decade — so much so that it drew one doctor out of retirement to help make sure more low-income patients are cured.

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Dr. Scott Gottlieb, Food and Drug Administration commissioner, told Kaiser Health News the incentives intended to spur development of drugs for rare diseases deserve a fresh look.

Health & Safety

FDA Commissioner: Are The Incentives Right For Orphan Drugs?

1:58pm December 22, 2017

by Sarah Jane Tribble

Food and Drug Commissioner Scott Gottlieb says he wants to know why drugmakers churn out medicines for some rare diseases but not others.

One ProPublica story found that the many eye drop companies waste medication by making the dispenser too big.

Health & Safety

A Prescription To Reduce Waste In Health Care Spending

10:31am December 21, 2017

by Marshall Allen

A ProPublica series has illuminated the many ways the U.S. health care system leaks money. Here are some ideas for plugging the holes.

With drug prices in the election spotlight, the pharmaceutical industry's main trade group raised its revenue and spending.

Health & Safety

In Election Year, Drug Industry Spent Big To Temper Talk About High Drug Prices

7:00am December 18, 2017

by Jay Hancock

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the brand-name drug industry's main trade group, spent liberally to shift the conversation on prices during the last presidential campaign.

Peter Saltonstall, president of the National Organization of Rare Disorders, speaks at a rally Tuesday in support of tax credits for companies that develop drugs for rare diseases.

Health & Safety

Advocates For Patients With Rare Diseases Defend Tax Credits For Orphan Drugs

6:13pm November 29, 2017

by Sarah Jane Tribble

The Republican tax plan could reduce or eliminate federal tax credits that reward companies for developing drugs to treat rare diseases. People who benefit from the medicines have objected.

Jared Haley, general manager of the C-Axis plant in Caguas, Puerto Rico, says computer-operated milling machines, like this one can cost more than a half million dollars. Heat and humidity in the plant after Hurricane Maria left many of the machines inope

Puerto Rico's Medical Manufacturers Worry Federal Tax Plan Could Kill Storm Recovery

5:25pm November 27, 2017

by Greg Allen

Drug companies and medical device makers in Puerto Rico are still struggling with power and staffing shortages. One device manufacturer says the future of his industry on the island is uncertain.

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Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, center, and other lawmakers have a plan to overhaul the tax code that includes a provision that would repeal a tax credit for makers of drugs for rare diseases.

Health & Safety

House Republicans Aim To Eliminate Tax Credits For Orphan Drugs

2:55pm November 03, 2017

by Sarah Jane Tribble

For more than three decades, pharmaceutical companies have claimed a 50 percent tax credit for the cost of clinical trials of drugs for rare diseases. The credit is now in jeopardy.

Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota want drugmakers to stop wasting money by making eyedrops that are too big.

Senators Move To Reduce 'Colossal And Completely Preventable Waste' Of Drugs

9:36am November 01, 2017

by Marshall Allen

Senators cited ProPublica reporting that found drug companies have been making patients pay for oversize eyedrops and more liquid cancer medications than they need.