SPOTLIGHT -
Jill Wechsler is Pharm Exec's Washington Corespondent
Is More Competition the Cure in Pricing Debate?
Policymakers, payers and pharma companies weigh strategies for rationalizing drug prices . Jill Wechsler reports.
FDA Highlights “Flexibility” in Approving Rare Disease Therapies
The FDA approved Sarepta’s Exondys for Duchenne muscular dystrophy despite little evidence of efficacy, leading many to regard the decision as not being a model for future drug development.
FDA Tackles Cellular, Gene Therapies
FDA’s new Office of Tissues and Advanced Therapies will oversee a growing range of cellular and genetic products.
Value Assessment of Drugs Here to Stay
Despite notable deficiencies in the frameworks for assessing the value of prescription drugs, these initiatives are expected to have a major impact on drug utilization and reimbursement.
Major Changes Ahead for Drug User Fees
PDUFA VI to enhance FDA staffing, revise fees and expand evidence for drug development.
Combination Products High on Regulatory Radar Screen
The EpiPen eruption plus the emergence of more cutting-edge therapies with drug and biotech components has put combination products under the spotlight. Jill Wechsler reports.
NIH, FDA Seek Broader Disclosure of Clinical Trial Results
The campaign to achieve greater transparency in clinical research activity regulated or funded by the federal government, including the results of those studies, is moving forward after months of debate.
Biosimilars Face Repercussions of Drug Pricing Debate
Concerns have emerged that continued growth in biosimilars could be limited by mounting pressure to push down on prescription drug outlays. Jill Wechsler reports.
September 12, 2016
Opioid Epidemic Prompts More Finger Pointing at Pharma
Traditional sales and pricing practices face legal challenges and political backlash.
Sunshine Data Helps Feds Uncover Fraud
$7.5 billion in pharma “transfers of value” made in 2015 has caught the attention of the DoJ and federal and state prosecutors investigating fraud. Jill Weschler reports.
Can Competition Block Excessive Pharma Price Hikes? EpiPen Saga Shows It’s Hard
The outrage over Mylan’s price hikes for its EpiPen auto-injector illustrates the many factors that keep drug pricing immune from normal economic pressures, writes Jill Wechsler.
Opioid Epidemic: More Finger Pointing at the Pharma Industry
Traditional sales and pricing practices face legal challenges and political backlash, writes Jill Wechsler.
Drug Shortages Raise Economic and Ethical Challenges
Analysts examine investment and business factors that shape supply disruptions.
Funding for Zika Vaccine Hinders Development
Zika vaccine development is hindered by technical challenges and funding shortfalls, writes Jill Wechsler.
FDA, Industry Seek Speedy Congressional Approval of New User Fee Plan
Stakeholders are looking to move up the Prescription Drug User Fee Act timeframe to gain Congressional action before the Obama administration steps down.
July 27, 2016
Accelerating the Drive for New Antibiotics
It's time for new pharma strategies to combat deadly drug-resistant infections, writes Jil Wechsler.
Time for new pharma strategies to combat deadly drug-resistant infections
Major Changes Proposed for Medicare Drug Coverage
Rapid growth in Medicare spending on prescription drugs is prompting a leading advisory group to recommend significant revisions in how the government pays for medicines under Part D and Part B
Support Grows for Wider Use of Real-World Evidence
Jill Wechsler on the need for more efficient methods of documenting treatment benefits in medical practice.
Tricky Path to Risk-Sharing Agreements
Despite enthusiasm from payers and pharma companies for innovative drug reimbursement strategies linked to positive patient responses, negotiating such deals is no easy business.
US and EU Regulators Seek to Reduce Pharma Inspections
June 13, 2016
Promises and Pitfalls in Calculating Drug Value
There’s a stampede to relate prices to broader health benefits, but little consensus on how to do so, writes Jill Wechsler.
Sharing un-redacted inspection reports between FDA and EMA may reduce duplicate inspections of facilities.
Califf Seeks Evidence to Guide Regulatory Decisions
May 16, 2016.
Any Chance for "Cures" Legislation This Year?
Election-year activities may stall the passage of biomedical innovation bill in 2016.