Former President Barack Obama and the Democrats are making a final push to get people to sign up for insurance through the Affordable Care Act. The Trump administration slashed the ACA’s advertising budget by 90% to $10 million last year, a change that took effect for this year’s open enrollment. Signup rates are down 11% this year on HealthCare.gov. Obama, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and other Democrat leaders are trying to fill the gap with a social media push before enrollment closes this week. (CNBC)
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) has chastised Pfizer’s CEO for “playing political games” with drug price hikes. Baldwin sent a letter to Ian Read ahead of the company’s plan to resume price increases next month. She also scolded the company for failing to answer questions that she asked in July when Pfizer temporarily instituted a price-increase freeze. (STAT)
The FDA has declined to approve Mallinckrodt’s abuse-deterrent opioid painkiller, saying its application needed further evaluation. The drug is a reformulated version of the company’s painkiller, Roxicodone. It’s intended to make it more difficult to abuse by snorting or injecting. (Reuters)
Michigan has launched a public-private partnership to curb the opioid epidemic. The state Department of Health and Human Services is working with organizations including Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. The partnership will distribute $2.6 million in grants focused on medication-assisted treatment for overdoses. (Associated Press)
Johnson & Johnson has said its psoriasis drug is more effective than its Novartis-made rival. The J&J drug, Tremfya, was shown to be superior to Cosentyx in reducing the severity and area of the body affected by psoriasis in a late-stage study. (Reuters)
