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Lawmakers from both parties plan Wednesday to offer controversial amendments to slash prescription drug prices when the House Energy and Commerce Committee marks up a Food and Drug Administration bill, but their chances of adoption appear slim. The amendments would address issues such as importation of cheaper drugs into the United States and the introduction of generic drugs. The committee will consider a bill (HR 2430) to renew the FDA’s authority to collect fees from the prescription drug and the medical device industries. The industry funding makes up roughly $2 billion of the FDA’s nearly $5 billion annual budget and pays the salaries of FDA employees who review applications. (Siddons, 6/6)

The Senate's health panel will hold a hearing next week on drug pricing, questioning experts about the prescription delivery system. The Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee will hold the hearing June 13 at 10 a.m., according to a media advisory. The long-awaited hearing will focus on "the process of moving prescription drugs from the manufacturer to patients and how the drug deli system affects what patients pay when picking up their prescriptions," it says. (Hellmann, 6/6)