Sarah Karlin-Smith

Sarah is a senior writer at the Pink Sheet, specializing in the policy and politics that affect the pharmaceutical industry. She covers the US Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service and Congress. Her work explores how government policies influence how drugs are developed and approved, what diseases are prioritized by scientists, and who gets access to medicines and at what cost. Sarah has covered health care since 2011. Prior to returning to the Pink Sheet in March 2020, she covered health policy at Politico for five years.
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Latest From Sarah Karlin-Smith
Biden Team To ‘Explore’ Dose-Sparing Strategies For COVID-19 Vaccines, But Details Sparse
New US leadership has a more comprehensive COVID-19 strategy, but that doesn’t mean all the plans are fully fleshed out yet. While Biden team declines to provide any details on what new vaccine dosing strategies they plan to examine, CDC quietly updates its recommendations to allow six weeks between shots.
Medicare Payment Cuts For Vaccines: MedPac Suggests Moving To New WAC-Reimbursement Formula
Proposal, which could be formally endorsed by MedPac this spring, would lower the payment rates for vaccines while simultaneously moving all preventative vaccine coverage to Medicare Part B. Commission signals further cuts to payment rate, through an average sales priced-based methodology that might eventually be recommended.
Pink Sheet Podcast: Woodcock To Be Acting US FDA Chief, Key Staff Depart, Political Donations Shift
Pink Sheet reporters and editor discuss President-Elect Joe Biden’s decision to name the CDER director as acting FDA commissioner and other staffing changes, as well as changes to industry trade groups’ political donations.
Woodcock To Be Acting US FDA Commissioner; Sharfstein Tops Biden's List Of Candidates For Post
Agency has been prepping Woodcock for the temporary task but what will happen to her role on Operation Warp Speed remains unclear. The move should give Biden team cushion to confirm a permanent leader of whom a top contender is former senior FDA staffer Joshua Sharfstein, a proponent of drug reforms that may irk manufacturers.
Lagging COVID Antibody Uptake Continues To Worry US Government
US hopes more publicity will boost use of Lilly and Regeneron COVID-19 antibodies, once anticipated to be in short supply, but federal officials lack any other clear strategy to help overwhelmed health systems. Meanwhile Operation Warp Speed is testing the treatments against new virus variants and working on developing antibody cocktails that could avoid escape mutants as FDA issues guidance on potency assays for sponsors.
Insulin Report Revives Senate Finance Committee Push On Drug Pricing Legislation
Report released as soon-to-be committee chair Ron Wyden, D-OR, assembles plans for drug pricing legislation in the new Democratic-controlled Senate.