Language is now back in the Senate version of the OBBA that would undermine Medicare price negotiation for drugs with Orphan Drug Act designation. Here's our HA Forefront published yesterday (!) from Helen Mooney and @benro.me on why it is a very bad idea: www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/f...

Great and engaging panel discussion about the future of the Inflation Reduction Act by @benro.me and Chris Cai (both from @portalresearch.org), @dusetzinas.bsky.social (Vanderbilt Health Policy), and Alyson Bancroft (@p4ad.bsky.social)! #ARM25

New Health Affairs Forefront post on the Medicare negotiation "biologic bonus" and the massive financial hit to patients and the health care system of delaying small molecule negotiation from 9 to 13 years, led by Chris Cai and @benro.me: www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...

⭐Out now from Dr. Jerry Avorn— RETHINKING MEDICATIONS: Truth, Power, and the Drugs You Take In his new book, Dr. Avorn explains why some of the medications we take are poorly evaluated, overpriced, or pose unwarranted risks—and how we fix that. 📖 Grab a copy today: rethinkmeds.info

WATCH: @akesselheim.bsky.social testifies before @waysmeanscmte.bsky.social On NIH cuts - "...the next generation will look back at this moment & ask what we were doing while the Trump administration systematically disposed of 1000s of research projects that could've helped patients."

What’s really going on: Elon watched office space last night.

Was this before or after the CEO of PhrMA wined and dined with Trump?? 😉 But seriously, nice to see that negotiating drug prices is actually a bipartisan priority. www.statnews.com/pharmalot/20...

This is a terrible change. One of the silver linings of the pandemic is that it forced the health care system toward more adoption of telehealth. Good for patients, particularly those who need lots of care but who struggle to leave home.

We’ve summarized the (main, inaqdequate) ways to get prescription drugs for cheaper — with help from @benro.me. One of ‘em might work for you. And: you might know something we don’t. We’d love you to chime in. As always, paywall-free. firstaidkit.substack.com/p/how-to-may...

New from Chris Cai, @akesselheim.bsky.social and @benro.me in JAMA: Despite having gone off patent decades ago, repurposing the antidepressant doxepin for insomnia has led to persistent high prices even though generics are available, highlighting the need for policy reform in drug repurposing.

Despite the availability of generic low-dose doxepin for insomnia, the medication remains costly and less frequently used compared to other insomnia treatments. ja.ma/4aLCKid #MedSky

🩺📊 #medsky

New piece led by Anushka Bhaskar @portalresearch.org in STAT First Opinion on protecting public health agencies from damaging political interference -- even the threat of which can greatly affect people's behavior: www.statnews.com/2025/01/31/p...

Seems like the Trump administration plans to push ahead with negotiating drug prices under the Inflation Reduction Act! 💊🩺📊 A glimmer of positive news among a sea of mayhem this week. www.cms.gov/newsroom/pre...

Rescinding an executive order that directed CMMI to study models to lower drug costs isn’t the same as directing CMMI to stop implementing those models, is it?? #healthpolicy

📰 15 more drugs up for Medicare price negotiation this year. Including the blockbuster diabetes/obesity drug semaglutide!! 💊🩺📈🧪 www.cms.gov/newsroom/pre...

Writing in @jama.com, @rgfrank.bsky.social and I have a new piece examining the IRA's Medicare Part D redesign. We argue that the redesign deserves greater scholarly attention and discuss four key themes of interest to policymakers. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Anything Aaron writes is worth reading 👇👇

Starting tomorrow, patients with Medicare Part D coverage have a $2000 annual cap. 💊🩺📊 Happy new year!🎉🥳

Nice @nytimes.com summary of some GOOD recommendations for reforming the #FDA… from experts including from @portalresearch.org director @akesselheim.bsky.social. 🩺📊🛟 www.nytimes.com/2024/12/22/w...

Excellent summary of what to watch for with the #FDA in the upcoming administration. 🩺📊🛟

The wrong ways and right ways to reform the FDA in the new administration - new in Health Affairs Forefront from me and Josh Sharfstein: www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...

🚨New @portalresearch.org paper🚨 in JAMA Health Forum. HIGHLIGHTS: 🔵 Biosimilars made up <2% of adalimumab use in 2023. 🔵 Net prices dropped by >40%...but the Humira list price increased. Meaning: Abbvie payed confidential rebates to maintain Humira dominance. 💊🩺📊 📜 jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Complex new study in American Heart Journal from former @portalresearch.org fellow Catherine Hwang and PORTAL faculty @benro.me about primary adherence to ARNIs vs ACEI/ARBs. Bottom line: no difference but longer to fill for the more expensive ARNIs: tinyurl.com/395bjdvr

Just got a cold call from a group called "Voters for Cures" asking me to lobby Congress to pass PBM reform. No surprise who's funding that campaign. 🙄 We absolutely need PBM regulation. But I hope Congress makes sensible reforms that don't ultimately raise prices by manufacturers. #Healthpolicy

High prescription drug costs in the US hinder patient access to medication, but there are strategies that clinical teams can use to help patients manage these costs. https://ja.ma/4eQizjM

Earlier this year, Catherine Hwang, @akesselheim.bsky.social, and I argued that Medicare should cover anti-obesity medications...if they could negotiate fair prices. Is today's news a missed policy opportunity??? www.cambridge.org/core/journal... #Healthpolicy @portalresearch.org

Journal: thanks for submitting your paper. Unfortunately, you forgot to include the word count p. 1. Instead of updating this for you, we’d like you to please upload a new version and sit patiently waiting for it to convert to PDF yet again. Oh and we still might desk reject. Me: 😩 #AcademicSky

Interesting new data from MN. It’s clear that most 340B dollars go to hospitals, not safety net providers. But it’s also important to be clear that eliminating or restraining 340B would help drug manufacturers and hurt hospitals… but it probably would NOT bring down drug prices. #healthpolicy 💊📈💸

Re-upping this starter pack of prescription drug #healthpolicy all stars. Some new names added. Who am I missing?

New from @portalresearch.org led by Matt Martin, Sarah Gabriele and Sean Tu: characteristics of inventors on government-linked drug patents: most are well-funded senior researchers at top-tier institutions; in JAMA jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

📣PORTAL is hiring! 📣 There are less than 2 weeks left to apply for our Postdoctoral and General Medicine Fellowships, both with a focus on pharmaceutical law, health policy, and health services research. Apply by December 1, 2024. Learn more: mailchi.mp/3e02f38a708b/portal-hiring-2025

🎙️New NEJM audio interview recapping where we are with Medicare price negotiation and how to think about the results from the first 10 drugs. #healthpolicy #medsky @portalresearch.bsky.social www.nejm.org/do/10.1056/N...

Check out the new NEJM audio interview with @bnrome.bsky.social about the outcomes and future prospects of Medicare drug price negotiation under the Inflation Reduction Act after 1 year - from @portalresearch.bsky.social: www.nejm.org/do/10.1056/N...

Everyone at #HealthPolicy this week as we read the news.

New from @portalresearch.bsky.social incl Dan Carpenter and @wbfeldman.bsky.social: Reviewing how political actors can undermine public vaccine confidence by studying case of COVID19 vaccine roll-out...and how effects can persist. See doi.org/10.1215/0361...

How can clinicians help their patients afford costly medications?? 💊💰 In a recent JAMA review, we outlined an algorithm and talk about the pros and cons of several options, including copay cards, pharmacy coupons, and more. #Medsky 🩺📊 @portalresearch.bsky.social jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Sure, RFK Jr has a few good ideas, like restricting pharmaceutical advertising and focusing on root causes of disease… But any good ideas he has will be thoroughly rejected by the Republican majority in Congress. 🛟

👋 PORTAL is now on Bluesky! Follow us for the latest research from our team on prescription drug pricing, regulation, law, and policy. And, to get PORTAL research directly in your inbox each month, subscribe to our newsletter: eepurl.com/iQSXmU #healthpolicy #rxsky #medsky #lawsky #econsky

PORTAL is now officially here in the sky! Follow our research from our official account! 🩺📊

OK #healthpolicy sky, I started to put together a list of some great people working on US prescription drug policy. FDA regulation. Prices. Affordability and access. 💊💰📊 Who did I miss?? go.bsky.app/JgBuEys

Step 1 - Big political event. Step 2 - Elon reminds everyone what X is all about these days. Step 3 - A bunch more people migrate to Blue Sky. Step 4 - Repeat. Welcome! Follow me to learn about prescription drug prices #healthpolicy.

🚨New in JAMA🚨 BIDMC resident Ben Liu and I found that 1 in 5 state Medicaid programs cover 1+ antiobesity meds. Use of GLP1 agonists is skyrocketing 📈 If we want equitable access to these drugs, we need to contend with their enormous cost. 💰 #healthpolicy

I mean, printed information WOULD be nice, if the labeling information being provided was actually useful to patients in displaying risks and benefits. Long lists of “side effects” don’t really help anyone. #healthpolicy www.statnews.com/2024/01/22/p...

In a recent Health Affairs Forefront post, National Pharmaceutical Council put forward cherry-picked examples to argue that Medicare negotiation will harm incentives to innovate. The problem: their own examples show the opposite. Here’s our response. @dusetzinas.bsky.social @bnrome.bsky.social

🚨New paper🚨 in JAMA Neurology led by HMS ⭐️ John Kim. We found that Medicare and Medicaid paid 4-8x higher prices for ocrelizumab than rituximab… despite no compelling data that it’s any more effective for treating MS. Billions in potential savings 💰#healthpolicy

I live for being congratulated by my EHR. Happy Thanksgiving, all!

But did Microsoft agree to hire them?? Was that part of the deal bringing in Altman?

Net prices for weight loss GLP1s will come down now that there’s competition between Novo & Lilly. But competition isn’t an on/off switch. A duopoly is only marginally better than a monopoly. E.g. 3+ generics are needed to see real price reductions. www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/... #healthpolicy

Want to know what PBM reforms Congress is considering? BWH resident Chris Cai and I have got you covered in a new #NEJM perspective. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.... #healthpolicy