The Inflation Reduction Act's Medicare out-of-pocket cap is reducing costs for cancer patients, but community oncology leaders warn that negotiated drug price cuts are creating financial pressures on medical practices.
The 340B drug discount program is under debate as a new report shows participating hospitals lag behind peers in charity care spending, while stakeholders at a conference discuss potential reforms including data clearinghouses and a 2027 rebate model. Critics argue the program has expanded without corresponding patient benefits.
Novo Nordisk announced it cut 13,000 jobs in the past year and outlined plans to diversify beyond obesity drugs with new pipeline assets and bolt-on acquisitions. CEO Mike Doustdar faced investor skepticism about pricing power and strategy ahead of patent expiries.
The FDA is accepting applications for a pilot program to expedite drug testing in humans, while at least 19 US states have applied for a Medicaid drug-pricing experiment with international benchmarking. Separately, India's government is streamlining its drug approval process by allowing studies to begin after notifying regulators and cutting import license processing times in half.
The FDA approved Zanvastro, an antisense oligonucleotide therapy from Ionis Pharmaceuticals, as the first targeted treatment for Alexander disease, a rare and deadly genetic neurological disorder affecting adults and children. The company priced the injectable drug at $285,000 per dose.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed cutting Medicare payments for drugs purchased under the 340B Drug Pricing Program in its 2027 rule, reigniting a long-standing dispute between safety-net hospitals and federal regulators over the program designed to help vulnerable populations access medications.
The Trump administration has proposed a new regulation through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services targeting hospitals in the 340B Drug Pricing Program, aiming to prevent markups on discounted drugs for Medicare patients and potentially save consumers $1.1 billion next year.
CVS Health's Caremark pharmacy benefits unit reached a settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to curb controversial rebate practices in the pharmacy benefits market. The agreement requires Caremark to count consumer purchases from Trump's TrumpRx program toward insurance deductibles, mirroring a similar settlement previously reached with Cigna.
A Harvard-backed study found that the Inflation Reduction Act's drug provisions are helping Medicare beneficiaries stay on their medications. However, the reforms have not yet reduced overall healthcare costs or financial anxiety for beneficiaries.
President Trump announced that all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico have agreed to participate in his administration's 'most favored nation' drug pricing initiative for Medicaid programs, which aims to lower prescription drug costs by tying prices to those paid in other countries.
