Pharma Holds Breath, Bracing For A Blue Wave To Take The House
Democrats have not been shy about their intent to focus on high drug prices if they regain control of the House, which the pharmaceutical industry doesn't foresee going in its favor. Meanwhile, although lawmakers blocked pharma's last attempt to attach the "doughnut hole" change to the massive opioid package, experts think lobbyists might be successful in the lame-duck months after the elections.
The Hill:
Drug Companies Fear Democratic Congress
Drug companies are gearing up for a fight if Democrats take over the House. Democratic lawmakers say Republicans have gone too easy on the industry and are vowing that will change if they take power in November’s midterm elections. They are promising investigations into rising drug prices and say they will push to allow importation of cheaper medicines from other countries and to allow Medicare to negotiate prices with pharmaceutical companies. (Weixel and Hellmann, 10/3)
Politico:
Why Congress Is Poised To Give The Drug Industry A $4B Windfall
President Donald Trump may rail against drug companies “getting away with murder,” but Congress appears to be moving in the opposite direction — helping to boost industry profits. While the pharmaceutical industry lost an eleventh-hour bid last week to attach a $4 billion windfall to Congress’ bipartisan opioid bill, lawmakers and industry analysts expect it to try again with good prospects of prevailing — perhaps as soon as the lame-duck session after the November election. (Karlin-Smith, 10/2)
In other national health care news —
The New York Times:
Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Chief Executive Resigns From Merck’s Board Of Directors
Dr. Craig B. Thompson, the chief executive of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, said Tuesday that he would resign his seats on the boards of drug maker Merck and another public company, the latest fallout from a widening institutional reckoning over relationships between cancer center leaders and for-profit health care companies. Dr. Thompson has served on the board of Merck, the maker of the blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda, since 2008. He has been on the board of Charles River Laboratories, a publicly traded company that assists research in early drug development, since 2013. (Thomas and Ornstein, 10/2)
The Associated Press:
Proposed Rule Change Worries Some About Radiation Regulation
The EPA is pursuing rule changes that experts say would weaken the way radiation exposure is regulated, turning to scientific outliers who argue that a bit of radiation damage is actually good for you — like a little bit of sunlight. The government’s current, decades-old guidance says that any exposure to harmful radiation is a cancer risk. And critics say the proposed change could lead to higher levels of exposure for workers at nuclear installations and oil and gas drilling sites, medical workers doing X-rays and CT scans, people living next to Superfund sites and any members of the public who one day might find themselves exposed to a radiation release. (Knickmeyer, 10/3)
The New York Times:
In Australia, Cervical Cancer Could Soon Be Eliminated
Cervical cancer could be eliminated in Australia within the next two decades because of a government program to vaccinate children against the cancer-causing human papillomavirus, according to a new report. The study, published this week in The Lancet Public Health, found that by 2028, fewer than four women in every 100,000 could be diagnosed with cervical cancer annually in Australia — effectively eliminating the disease as a public health problem. And by 2066, the researchers say, less than one woman per year could receive that diagnosis. (Albeck-Ripka, 10/3)
The Associated Press:
Study: 1 In 3 US Adults Eat Fast Food Each Day
A government study has found that 1 in 3 U.S. adults eat fast food on any given day. That's about 85 million people. It's the first federal study to look at how often adults eat fast food. An earlier study found a similar proportion of children and adolescents ate it on any given day. (10/3)