‘Right-To-Try’ May Now Be Law Of The Land, But That Doesn’t Mean Companies Will Start Offering Up Their Drugs
The legislation gives companies more wiggle room, but most of them don't want it and are not going to use it. Patients are "no better off today with Right to Try than [they were] yesterday," says Arthur Caplan, head of medical ethics at NYU School of Medicine. In national health care news: lawmakers want companies to develop new antibiotics but they're not offering any extra incentives for them to do so; Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) wants to increase transparency over payments to patient advocacy groups; tips on getting around pharmacists' gag rule; and more.
The Wall Street Journal:
The ‘Right To Try’ Law Says Yes, The Drug Company Says No
Radha Rangarajan loves Moana and Elmo, the playground and the “Pout-Pout Fish” book. Like most 2-year-olds, she speaks in two-to-three-word sentences. (“Go outside!” “Mama sit.”) She gives kisses to anyone who asks. But Radha’s life is far from normal. She can’t walk without assistance. Her health will probably deteriorate rapidly in coming months. (Reddy, 6/6)
Stat:
Lawmakers Push For New Antibiotics, But Stop Short Of Offering Incentives
House lawmakers on both sides of the aisle Wednesday stressed the importance of developing new antibiotics, though the draft bill they discussed did not include any of the specific incentives advocates say are necessary to promote such drug development. Left to their own devices and the stimuli of the market, companies simply won’t develop the antibiotics the world needs. Infections resistant to the current supply of medicines kill tens of thousands of Americans each year, and many more worldwide. But these drugs can’t turn a huge profit, and the more they are used, the less effective they can become, making it difficult for companies to recoup their investment. (Swetlitz, 6/6)
Stat:
McCaskill Bill Would Make Pharma Report Payments To Patient Advocacy Groups
Looking to bolster transparency involving drug makers, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) introduced a bill that would require drug makers to report payments that are made to patient advocacy groups and professional societies. The legislation is designed to toughen the Sunshine Act, which was created in response to concerns that industry payments were unduly influencing medical research and practice. The law was subsequently folded into the Affordable Care Act and a federal database was launched in 2014 to which drug and device makers must report payments to physicians. (Silverman, 6/6)
Politico:
Trump Seeks To Reorganize The Federal Government
The Trump administration is preparing to release a sweeping plan for reorganizing the federal government that includes a major consolidation of welfare programs — and a renaming of the Health and Human Services Department. The report, set to be released in the coming weeks by the White House Office of Management and Budget, seeks to move safety-net programs, including food stamps, into HHS, two sources with knowledge of the plan told POLITICO. The plan would also propose changing the name of the sprawling department, while separately seeking cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department. (Bottemiller Evich and Restuccia, 6/6)
The Associated Press:
More Americans Screened Over Mystery Health Issues In China
A U.S. medical team was screening more Americans who work in a southern Chinese city as the State Department confirmed evacuating a number of government workers who experienced unexplained health issues like those that have hurt U.S. personnel in Cuba and China. The evacuations of the workers in Guangzhou followed medical testing that revealed they might have been affected. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said "a number of individuals" have been brought to the U.S. but didn't say how many were affected or evacuated. One case in Guangzhou had been disclosed last month. (6/7)
The New York Times:
What Do These Political Ads Have In Common? The Opioid Crisis.
The scenes in the political ads play out in almost the same order: A heartbreaking story about someone who can’t seem to stop taking drugs. A grim statistic about opioids. And then a somber pitch from a candidate promising solutions. More and more, politicians in competitive races are using emotional pleas about opioid abuse to woo voters. In states like Wisconsin, where hundreds of people are dying of opioid overdoses every year, candidates are talking about drugs in stump speeches, on Facebook and in ads. (Smith, 6/7)