Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Massachusetts Says It's Worth It To Pay For Uber-Pricey Drugs ... But Only If They Work
If it works, we pay. If not, we get most 鈥 if not all 鈥 of our money back. That鈥檚 the gist of a deal the Massachusetts Medicaid program, MassHealth, has reached for one of the most expensive drugs on the market. (Bebinger, 2/7)
In other pharmaceutical news 鈥
The French drug giant Sanofi on Thursday reported positive results in a study of its new pill to treat multiple sclerosis. The drug, which Sanofi licensed from South San Francisco-based Principia Biopharma in 2017, 鈥渟ignificantly reduced disease activity associated with multiple sclerosis as measured by magnetic resonance imaging,鈥 the company said in a statement. Full data on the drug, called SAR442168, are not being made available yet, but will be presented at a later medical meeting. (Herper, 2/6)
In an unusual move, the U.S. Embassy in the Netherlands is taking the Dutch government to task for policies that would purportedly undermine patent rights held by drug makers, drawing criticism from consumer advocates who argue such declarations place pharmaceutical industry profits over patients. Late last month, the embassy issued a missive criticizing Dutch officials for plans to expand compulsory licensing and pharmaceutical compounding, which would 鈥渟end a clear message鈥 to companies that patents in the Netherlands 鈥渃an be undermined or circumvented for short-term financial benefits.鈥 (Silverman, 2/6)