Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has asked former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb to step down from Pfizer’s board of directors, saying the appointment “smacks of corruption.” (STAT) Gottlieb has defended his decision to join Pfizer’s board, saying he worked with large drugmakers before running the FDA. (CNBC)
Gottlieb has also stated that he does not believe “Medicare for All” would be a beneficial system. He argued that it would do away with competition and pressure that decreases prices for drugs and services. (CNBC)
Facebook tried to cut down on content that promotes products with misleading health claims via two updates in June. The explanation came after The Wall Street Journal reported that Facebook and YouTube were being used to spread “harmful information.” (Reuters)
Prices have increased on 3,400 drugs this year, a 17% jump from a year ago. The average drug-price increase is five times the rate of inflation. Forty-one treatments have had price hikes of more than 100%. (CBS News)
Amarin is planning to double its sales force as it prepares to relaunch Vascepa. The treatment is an omega-3 drug approved for lowering triglycerides that can cause cardiovascular problems. The FDA is expected to finalize approval by September 28. (Endpoints)
