Drug Pricing
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Drug price hikes in Germany could push US costs higher, study says
The report comes amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Germany over drug prices, with several large pharmaceutical companies responding by scaling back investments in the country.
By Kristin Jensen • Nov. 11, 2026 -
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Medicare will cut billions from 340B, expand site-neutral payments in 2027
Regulators finalized a rule Wednesday that would slash payments for drugs in the controversial 340B program and equalize some payments between care sites. Hospitals railed against the rule.
By Sydney Halleman • Nov. 5, 2026 -
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Medicare Part D premiums are spiking 50% on average next year, KFF finds
The health policy think tank urged seniors to shop carefully for prescription drug coverage during Medicare open enrollment, given skyrocketing premiums and wide variance in costs between plans.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Nov. 3, 2026 -
Permission granted by Merck & Co.
Keytruda biosimilars are coming — but they face an uphill battle
A patent cliff is fast approaching for Merck’s flagship blockbuster, but the deck might be stacked against its biosimilars gaining widespread traction.
By Kelly Bilodeau • Nov. 2, 2026 -
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Labor Department finalizes sweeping PBM disclosure rule
Starting in 2027, the controversial drug middlemen will have to share a broad swath of fee and compensation data with self-funded employer clients. Employers cheered the rule, while PBMs slammed it as government overreach.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Oct. 29, 2026 -
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Most new drugs are still too costly at launch, ICER says
A new analysis from the non-profit group found that net launch prices for new medicines spiked significantly between 2022 and 2025, and the majority were well above its cost-effectiveness guidelines.
By Jonathan Gardner • Oct. 20, 2026 -
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Pharma’s $500B patent problem will come in waves — not as a cliff
Merck is the most vulnerable to generic competition in the short term, but AbbVie, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi and others will also grapple with patent losses in the years to come.
By Sy Mukherjee • Oct. 12, 2026 -
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Trump administrationA hidden tradeoff in Trump’s drug pricing deals
The government has announced “most-favored-nation” pricing agreements with 26 pharma companies. But the deals could stymie other plans to lower the country’s spending on prescription drugs.
By Kelly Bilodeau • Sept. 22, 2026 -
Courtesy of Revolution Medicines
Revolution drug heralded as a pancreatic cancer breakthrough cleared by FDA
Rasonque’s speedy approval — just a month after a completed submission — represents a paradigm shift for a notoriously deadly cancer and begins what analysts see as a highly lucrative drug launch.
By Gwendolyn Wu • Updated Aug. 27, 2026 -
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Trump administration tries again to institute rebates in 340B
The Health Resources and Services Administration is again pushing to include rebates in the drug discount program after a failed attempt earlier this year. Hospitals railed against the announcement, saying it would burden already strapped providers.
By Sydney Halleman • July 31, 2026 -
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Trump administrationTrump threatens tariffs on imported generic drugs
While the possibility of levies on branded pharmaceuticals have had a limited impact on drugmaker revenues, tariffs of up to 200% on copycat medicines could — depending on the specifics — prove more disruptive.
By Kristin Jensen • July 22, 2026 -
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Obesity drugsCompounders maintain a firm grip on the GLP-1 market
Despite an FDA crackdown, numerous pharma lawsuits and possible safety risks, nearly 1 in 5 patients are still taking cheaper weight-loss alternatives.
By Kelly Bilodeau • July 17, 2026 -
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CVS Caremark reaches settlement with FTC over insulin suit
Terms of the deal announced Tuesday are very similar to those the FTC reached with Express Scripts earlier this year, including requiring the PBM to stop preferring higher cost versions of drugs on standard formularies.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • July 14, 2026 -
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Express Scripts, PCMA sue to block Tennesee law breaking up PBMs and pharmacies
Express Scripts and the PBM lobby are following in CVS Caremark’s footsteps in filing complaints challenging the FAIR Rx Act, which was passed earlier this year despite vehement opposition from PBMs.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • June 16, 2026 -
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Medicare drug price rule may target under-the-skin Keytruda and Opdivo
For 2029, a federal rule proposes closing a "loophole" that protects medicines transitioning from intravenous administration from price protection.
By Jonathan Gardner • June 15, 2026 -
Fintan Trimble via Getty Images
Generic drugmakers gain key victory in ‘skinny label’ patent case
The Supreme Court ruled that a knockoff version of Amarin’s Vascepa didn’t infringe on patents — a decision with far-reaching implications for the availability of generics.
By Jonathan Gardner • June 5, 2026 -
iStock.com/Philip Thurston
Sponsored by Evaluate2026 Orphan Drugs Report: A safe(r) passage amid stormy waters?
Orphan drugs remain commercially durable, strategically relevant and supported by a strong pipeline
June 1, 2026 -
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Sponsored by CencoraUnlocking more value from mature drug products through strategic outsourcing
See how strategic outsourcing can maximize value and reduce costs for mature drug portfolios.
May 18, 2026 -
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Nektar surges again as alopecia drug shows new promise in extension study
Patients who'd seen substantial hair regrowth in the first part of Nektar’s trial had a "deepening" treatment response, extending a comeback bid that’s caused shares to skyrocket over the last year.
By Jonathan Gardner • April 20, 2026 -
Alamy
Trump administrationTrump revives pharma tariffs with 100% charges, but leaves loopholes
"Section 232" national security levies won't apply to a wide array of drugs, meaning the "overall threat to the sector should be low," according to one analyst.
By Jonathan Gardner • April 3, 2026 -
Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
New FDA guidance could elevate pharma’s biosimilar market
Biologic copycats have had a limited impact on U.S. drug prices so far, but loosening regulatory restrictions could help accelerate their progress.
By Michael Gibney • March 13, 2026 -
Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
Trump’s State of the Union trumpets healthcare greatest hits, but no new policies
In his lengthy address Tuesday night, the president touted his efforts to make drugs and insurance more affordable but steered clear of hot-button issues like vaccine access and the GOP’s Medicaid cuts.
By Rebecca Pifer Parduhn • Feb. 25, 2026 -
Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
Trump sets fresh 10% global tariff — and plans to increase further
The new duties will go into effect Feb. 24, although the president has since signaled he will raise the rate to 15%.
By Antone Gonsalves , Phil Neuffer • Updated Feb. 21, 2026 -
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Lowering drug costs is on Republicans’ minds. Democrats say GOP policies don’t help.
At a House subcommittee hearing last week, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle decried the nation’s high drug costs, but Democrats argued Medicaid cuts and lapsed Affordable Care Act subsidies are worsening the problem.
By Emily Olsen • Feb. 12, 2026 -
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Trump administrationWhite House’s online service for drug sales debuts with limited impact on prices
Select products from Pfizer, Eli Lilly and others will be sold at a discount, although the lower costs won’t be felt by many Americans whose medications are covered by insurance.
By Jonathan Gardner • Feb. 6, 2026
