Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. This morning is getting off to a fabulous start, despite the frigid air enveloping the subdued Pharmalot campus, where the official mascots are happily snoozing and we are organizing our to-do list. As always, we are also quaffing some cups of stimulation — golden french toast is our choice du jour — and assembling some tidbits for your pleasure. So, time to get cracking. Hope you have a smashing day, and do stay in touch. We always enjoy your tips and insights. …
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner has said he wants to do away with pharmaceutical ads that employ “dancing patients, glowing smiles, and catchy jingles that drown out the fine print.” On Super Bowl Sunday, the pharmaceutical industry will treat him to lounging football stars, a shouting DJ Khaled, and the soothing tones of Enya, STAT tells us. The game, the annual zenith of American advertising, is the first since FDA Commissioner Marty Makary began a self-described “crackdown” on drug marketing last year. And, based on the ads released in advance, little has changed in the eyes of the industry. Drug companies are running what marketers call disease-awareness ads, which explain the ailment a given medicine treats but stop short of actually mentioning the drug itself, sparing actors from having to recite mood-killing side effects whose mention might otherwise also give viewers pause.
The pharmacy benefit manager reforms that President Trump signed into law earlier this week could lead to employers buying drugs directly from drugmakers, just like the administration is encouraging individual consumers to do through its pending website TrumpRx, STAT says. The law prohibits pharmacy benefit managers from linking their payments to drug prices in Medicare. In the commercial market, the bill would require pharmacy benefit managers to pass through 100% of rebates to employer-sponsored insurance plans. There are also transparency measures for the commercial and Medicare markets. In the past, some large employers asked drugmakers if they could buy drugs directly to avoid higher list prices, but were rebuffed. But once the new disclosure requirements make clear how pharmacy benefit managers make money and where the money is flowing, drugmakers might be more willing to work with employers directly.Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…