Hospitals across the country are facing a shortage of staple drugs, including morphine and diltiazem. The roots of the shortage are complex, including low margins on generic injectable drugs, which has led companies to cease production, and manufacturing problems at Pfizer, the largest maker of these drugs. (New York Times)
Pfizer has increased the prices of 100 products, including Viagra. The price increases, which, in most cases, are about 9%, come just weeks after President Donald Trump said there would be “voluntary massive drops in prices” from pharma companies. (Financial Times)
AbbVie must pay $448 million for using sham litigation to block the sale of generic versions of its testosterone replacement drug, a federal judge has ruled. “The FTC has established the actual market reality that defendants possessed monopoly power and illegally and willfully maintained that monopoly power through the filing of sham litigation,” the judge wrote. (Reuters)
Amazon’s acquisition of PillPack could benefit pharma companies. Thirty-four percent of patients who struggle with medication adherence are more likely to get prescriptions filled or refilled on time if they’re delivered to their homes, according to a survey from DRG Digital. For pharmacy retailers, the deal is far more threatening; their stocks stocks swooned on the news. (MM&M)
A federal judge has blocked Kentucky’s plan to make some Medicaid coverage dependent on work requirements. It’s unlikely to be the last ruling on the topic. Three other states have received permission from the administration on the issue, which could make its way to the Supreme Court. (New York Times)
