STAT+: Pharmalittle: We\u2019re reading about Medicare-negotiated drug prices, an FDA voucher program, and more
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Happy Thanksgiving Eve, Pharmalittle readers. This is Allison, filling in for Mr. Pharmalot. I recently hosted a mini Thanksgiving dinner for friends, and was stumped trying to pick music to play in the background. Why aren\u2019t there any real Thanksgiving songs? We have an overabundance of Christmas music. I certainly can\u2019t play Adam Sandler\u2019s Thanksgiving song<\/a> over and over all night. Please reach out if you have any music suggestions! This newsletter, and Ed, will be back in your inbox Monday morning. Now onto the news. \u2026<\/p>\n The Trump administration on Tuesday evening unveiled the prices for 15 drugs that were the subject of Medicare negotiations for the second year, <\/strong>STAT reports<\/strong><\/a>. <\/strong>The administration said it saved $8.5 billion, or 36%, compared to what it would\u2019ve paid last year had the negotiated prices been in effect. The negotiated-price drugs include Novo Nordisk\u2019s semaglutide, sold under the brands Ozempic and Rybelsus for diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss and cardiovascular risk prevention.\u00a0<\/p>\n As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration\u2019s Commissioner\u2019s National Priority Voucher program has picked up steam, questions and criticisms about the initiative have been building beyond biopharma, <\/strong>Fierce Biotech details<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> With a letter to Commissioner Marty Makary, Democratic New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. and Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders shared \u201cdeep concerns\u201d about the program, noting that it has not received congressional authorization.<\/p>\n Continue to STAT+ to read the full story\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n