Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Biotech Executive With Big Ideas Aims To Increase 'Healthspan' Not Necessarily Lifespan
Nathaniel 鈥淣ed鈥 David, the co-founder and president of Unity Biotechnology (UBX), is one of biotech鈥檚 big idea guys. Before starting Unity in 2011, David founded four other companies that raised $1.5 billion in financing and now employ 400 people. The idea behind Unity is particularly vast: The company is targeting the science around aging, and all the diseases that can result from it. Its first studies, due to read out over the next few years, are in arthritis and eye diseases like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. The goal, David says, is not to extend life, but to increase 鈥渉ealthspan,鈥 the length of time during which people are healthy. (Herper, 5/14)
After more than a year of debate, New Jersey eased some of the provisions in a controversial rule that governs the sort of gifts and payments that drug makers can give to doctors. In a filing last week, the state acceded to complaints from the restaurant and hospitality industry that the initial proposal on meals was too restrictive and unrealistic. However, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal left in place a $10,000 annual cap on what physicians can earn from drug makers for such activities as promotional speaking and consulting. Research work, however, is exempt. (Silverman, 5/13)
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is one of 44 attorneys general who is taking part in a lawsuit alleging that 20 of the country's largest generic drug makers have conspired to inflate and manipulate drug prices. Miller said the suit argues that executives at drug manufactures Teva, Sandoz, Mylan, Pfizer and others had an "informal working relationship" to allocate markets and rig bids for more than 100 drugs. (Krebs, 5/13)
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said on Monday the state is joining dozens of others in suing generic drug manufacturers over prices. The lawsuit alleges that nearly two dozen drug companies reached tacit agreements to divide up the drug market and push prices higher to increase revenue. Generic drugs are copies of name-brand medications which are often prescribed as lower cost alternatives. (Nelson, 5/13)
