US opioid crisis package nears enactment
Medicare is to review ways to encourage use of non-addictive pain relievers, but Heron Therapeutics will miss out on extension of a special payment provision.
On patient-reported outcomes pharma wants to have its cake and eat it
Over industry objections, a Medicare panel endorses patient symptom reporting tools that could lower payments for drugs with a high side-effect burden.
How a discount programme became the villain in US drug price wars
Pharma sector pushes back against a programme that mandates cheaper prices for hospitals serving the poor.
Biosimilars the beneficiary of new Medicare step therapy rule
Medicare Advantage plans have been cleared to seek cheaper alternatives for biologicals beginning next year.
The million-dollar question hanging over US research funding law
As drug prices climb, is it time to ask whether the landmark technology transfer law is a fair deal for US taxpayers?
Despite the FDA’s best efforts, device approvals crash
Regulatory intervention having limited impact on fostering innovation.
Wrong to try?
Will US right-to-try legislation be a means of giving hope to terminally ill patients, or drug another way for drug regulatory standards to fall?
Competition not the answer to restraining Medicare drug costs
Competitive bidding, an attempt to bring down Medicare costs, might lead to higher out-of-pocket costs for patients.
Why competitive bidding will be a hard task in Medicare
The US government is trying to change the way Medicare reimburses doctors for office-administered drugs – but whether it will succeed is another story.
Kickstarting ideas
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