Just as one probably errant drug safety rumor was being debunked at Vertex, the FDA triggered a real alarm on a trio of prominent hep C drugs now linked with a lethal liver reaction.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received reports that the use of Mavyret, Zepatier, or Vosevi to treat chronic hepatitis C in patients with moderate to severe liver impairment has resulted in rare cases of worsening liver function or liver failure. All these medicines contain a hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitor and are not indicated for use in patients with moderate to severe liver impairment. In most patients, symptoms resolved or new onset worsening of liver function improved after stopping the medicine. These medicines have been widely used and are safe and effective in patients with no or mild liver impairment.
The Food and Drug Administration identified dozens of cases in which patients who weren't supposed to take a newer kind a hepatitis C medication did, and then got sicker, leading the agency to issue a safety warning Wednesday.
Given the attacks on the biopharmaceutical industry by “pharmascolds”, one would think that all of the negative terms that can be used to describe the nefarious nature of the industry have already been used. However, Gary West of West Health seems to have come up with a new twist with his use of drug cartels to describe what some believe is an important part of the healthcare system. Here is what he had to say in a recent op-ed piece in the San Diego Union Tribune.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - When Medicare prescription drug insurance was created in 2003, the idea that beneficiaries with very high drug costs should pick up 5 percent of the tab seemed reasonable - but that was well before specialty drugs were invented that carry price tags in the tens of thousands of dollars.
Merck & Co. is out of stock and dealing with back orders of some of its Sinemet Parkinson’s disease drug products that won't be resolved until next year. The issues have resulted from manufacturing problems at the CMO that produces the drug for Merck, and because the drugmaker badly missed its forecast for demand.
Like a growing number of its peers, Roche Holding AG pledged this week not to raise drug prices for the rest of the year. Thing is, the Swiss company had already done the second of its customary two annual increases.
Little more than a week after Pfizer drew praise from President Donald Trump for simply delaying planned price increases on 40 drugs, Merck & Co. pledged several strategies for “responsible pricing,” including slashing the price of its hepatitis C drug Zepatier by 60% and instituting price-hike controls across its entire portfolio.
Following the lead of Pfizer and Novartis, Merck put out a statement Thursday afternoon that it has committed to hold the line on any drug price hikes to the average inflation rate. In addition, they have a special in mind. The company is slashing the price of their hep C combo Zepatier by 60% while also promising a 10% cut on other therapies.
The pharmaceutical company Merck on Thursday announced it would lower the costs of some drugs in its portfolio.