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President Trump swept into office threatening to bring the hammer down on high drug prices, accusing pharmaceutical companies of “getting away with murder.” Over the past few weeks, his administration has tweaked how Medicare reimburses hospitals for certain drugs and sought feedback on a radical idea to pass prescription drug rebates directly to seniors. All of this could ultimately lower out-of-pocket drug prices for some. But there's one part of the health-care system so far being spared any real pain: the drug companies themselves. (Carolyn Y. Johnson, 11/24)

The productivity crisis that has challenged the pharmaceutical industry for years shows no sign of abating. Contrary to the popular opinion that the industry simply doesn’t spend enough on research, budgets for research and development have actually increased over the last 10 years. Yet R&D productivity continues to stagnate. (Steve Arlington, 11/29)

It’s a diagnosis that no parents want to hear - their child has acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). While a treatable cancer of the bone marrow and blood, traditional drug treatment regimens can be brutal and not always successful. But, in August the FDA announced the approval of a new gene therapy to treat ALL. Known as Kymriah (tisagenlecleucel), this Novartis product is the first gene therapy approved in the U.S., thereby opening a new era in medicine. (John LaMattina, 11/28)

A court case over an obscure fracking patent could put an end to one of the pharmaceutical industry's biggest irritants. The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in two patent cases that could determine the future of inter partes review (IPR) -- an expedited patent-challenge process that has knocked out thousands of patents and has been turned against several blockbuster drugs. It was thrust into the headlines after Allergan PLC tried to avoid it by taking advantage of a Native American tribe's sovereign immunity. (Max Nisen, 11/28)

It's not looking good for Eylea, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s best-selling medicine. Earlier this month, Novartis AG reported strong trial results for a possible competitor to the blockbuster eye drug. And on Monday, Regeneron announced it was giving up trying to combine Eylea with another medicine -- an effort that might have helped defend against Novartis's entry.  (Max Nisen, 11/27)

Last April, Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed legislation that could have saved New Mexico millions of dollars a year in prescription drug costs for state agencies and its employees and retirees. Senate Bill 354, which passed the Legislature with strong bipartisan support, would have required all New Mexico state agencies that purchase pharmaceutical drugs to work together to aggressively seek a better deal on drug prices. (Jeff Steinborn, 11/24)

The costs of prescription drugs are rising at an alarming rate – during just one 12-month period, drug prices increased by an average of nearly 10 percent. Though prescription drugs can play a critical role in everything from managing chronic health conditions to treating previously incurable diseases, an anticipated spike in prescription drug spending – from $450 billion in 2016 to $610 billion by 2021 – clearly signals a national healthcare crisis that must be addressed. (Kim Keck, 11/23)