Posted by Michael Wonder on 20 Jul 2018
Trump's drug plan picks up momentum as Merck lowers some prices
19 July 2018 - Rebates, biosimilar competition, drug imports get priority.
The Trump administration moved swiftly in the past 24 hours to implement pieces of its plan to bring down drug prices, preparing several significant steps as one of the biggest U.S. drug makers said it would bring down the cost of some medicines.
The Health and Human Services Department on Wednesday night submitted a proposal to the White House that would curb kickback exemptions that allow drugmakers to offer insurers and pharmacy-benefit managers rebates widely blamed for keeping drug prices high. Earlier that day, the Food and Drug Administration released a plan to boost the market for so-called biosimilars, which are generic copies of expensive drugs that contain living organisms.
