17 August 2016 - A closely watched effort in California to pass a bill that would require drug makers to explain their price hikes has been scuttled. The decision came after amendments were made during an assembly committee hearing last Friday that sources told us “effectively gutted” the legislation.

The bill would have required drug makers to report any move to increase the list price of a medicine by more than 10 percent during any 12-month period. And drug makers would also have had to justify price hikes for medicines with a list price of more than $10,000 within 30 days of making such a move.

“Unfortunately, recent amendments have made it more difficult for us to accomplish our fundamental goal,” said California state Senator Ed Hernandez, who pulled the bill after introducing the legislation and succeeding in getting the state Senate to approve the measure two months ago.

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