“More than 80 organizations are launching the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing to bring the pharmaceutical company Gilead to the table to negotiate a lower price, hoping that public pressure will prevail where private entreaties have not. John Rother, CEO of the National Coalition on Health Care, said Gilead’s pricing amounts to ‘an abuse of […]
By Meg Tirrell May 22, 2014 The mounting scrutiny of prescription drug prices in the U.S. reached fever pitch when a new drug for hepatitis C was priced at about $1,000 a day. Gilead Sciences’ Sovaldi, approved in December, cures the viral liver infection in most cases. it takes about 12 weeks, and costs […]
By Michael Smith May 22, 2014 The evidence base for one of the star hepatitis C drugs is poor and the guidelines for its use are flawed, according to a report prepared for the National Association of Medicaid Directors. According to the report, studies of sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) are generally of poor quality, mostly directed […]
By John Wilkerson May 21, 2014 Spurred by the prospect of Sovaldi’s high cost, some policy wonks are talking about letting plans and state Medicaid agencies spread the cost of expensive drugs out over several years, much like a mortgage. The idea is in the early stages of discussion, and no trade group, politician […]
By Bill Berkrot May 21, 2014 The leading U.S. health insurance trade group on Tuesday hit out at the extremely high cost of new specialty medicines, accusing drugmakers of taking advantage of the insurance system by pricing products at unsustainable levels. The latest salvo in the war on escalating U.S. healthcare costs came from AHIP – […]
By Ferdous Al-Faruque May 21, 2014 The top health insurance lobbyist in the country says stakeholders are at a “crossroad” on addressing the growing cost of specialty medications themselves before the government steps in. During a panel discussion Wednesday, Karen Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, said insurance companies, drugmakers and pharmacy benefit managers […]
By Paul Demko May 21, 2014 The steep cost of Sovaldi—Gilead Sciences’ $1,000-per-pill treatment for hepatitis C—is prompting wide-ranging discussions about the cost of drugs and whether the government should take more steps to regulate the cost of potentially life-saving treatments. “The Sovaldi example has brought us to a crossroads,” said Karen Ignagni, president […]
By Jeff Overly May 21, 2014 Executives representing drugmakers, employers and health insurers sparred Wednesday at a high-profile forum on soaring prescription drug prices, clashing over the need for higher-deductible plans, government cost controls and streamlined approvals at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The event, dubbed Future of Medicine and held in Washington, […]
By Anthony Brino May 21, 2014 The breakthrough hepatitis drug Sovaldi has sparked a vigorous debate about the financial sustainability of U.S. healthcare and the role of government in regulating prices. “The Sovaldi example has brought us to a crossroads,” said Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans, during a conference […]
By Brett Norman May 21, 2014 The astronomical price of a new “miracle” drug for hepatitis C has insurers and others who ultimately foot health care bills agreeing that drug costs are out of control and must come down. But there’s little consensus on how to make that happen. Executives from insurers, pharmacy benefit managers […]