Pharmalittle: We're reading about warnings over Trump's MFN plan, Purdue Pharma sentencing, and more

Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. And it is getting off to a good start here on the Pharmalot campus, where clear blue skies and pleasant breezes are greeting us. Who could ask for anything more? Actually, we could — it is time to reheat the kettle for another cuppa stimulation. Our choice today is apple hibiscus. And here is a helpful tip — a teaspoon of honey enhances the flavors splendidly. Of course, you are invited to join us. For the full experience, we are now hawking replicas — take a look. Meanwhile, here are a few tidbits to help you along. As always, do keep in touch. We appreciate feedback, criticism, and tips. …

Novartis chief executive officer Vas Narasimhan warned that the U.S. drug pricing policy under President Trump poses a “very difficult situation” and the reality will soon catch up with both drugmakers and patients, CNBC tells us. He maintained that Novartis is focused on getting European and Japanese governments to quickly change how they reward innovation, and added that if this does not happen, then novel medicines might see delayed entry into these markets and patients won’t have access to the drugs. The most-favored-nation drug pricing policy, or MFN, implemented by Trump last year means that prices in the big and lucrative U.S. market are tied to prices in comparably wealthy countries. Trump has made lower drug prices for Americans a priority and has long criticized what he calls “foreign nations freeloading on American-financed innovation.”

Japan risks missing out on new blockbuster treatments due to a drug pricing scheme being adopted in the U.S., Nikkei Asia writes. The Trump administration has been moving forward with a most-favored-nation pricing plan, which matches the price of a given drug to those set in other major countries. The new pricing will be applied to drugs purchased through the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and Japan is listed as a reference country for price calculations. The pricing scheme under Medicare references prices in 19 countries, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, and various European nations. Manufacturers of the target drugs are required to participate in the Medicare scheme. But drug companies would not need to reference Japan’s drug prices if they do not launch their products there. This raises the possibility of drugmakers refraining from selling products in Japan to avoid lowering prices in the U.S.

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