Management updated investors on M&A strategy, US drug pricing reform and R&D investment.

In this week's podcast edition of Scrip's Five Must-Know Things: US industry warns over pricing; a setback for another gene therapy; a Phase II disappointment for Novartis; Actemra shortages cause CAR-T worries; and Sweden's Sobi set to go private. 

Big pharma leaders warn of steep cuts to R&D and US jobs if US drug pricing reform legislation paves the way for direct government price negotiations.

Paper by Bentley University researchers and West Health considers the impact of drug pricing reforms on large and small biopharma companies if Medicare is authorized to negotiate drug prices.

Biogen is ‘pleased’ access will be available through exceptions process in formulary restrictions though the US veterans agency does not expect there will be ‘significant’ interest among its clinicians in prescribing through that process. Price was not deciding factor, agency says.

The US president’s remarks appear aimed at drawing more support for the negotiation policy. But critics are likely to be skeptical about whether such a process could result in a “fair” price.

They may have a good shot at passage given recent actions by President Biden and the Federal Trade Commission, and bipartisan interest in drug pricing. 

As Democrats in the US Congress work to move legislation empowering the Health and Human Services Department to negotiate drug prices directly with manufacturers, the Center For American Progress releases an analysis on which drugs would be targeted by House bill HR 3 and how much prices could be reduced.

The policies have long been Democratic priorities, but of the three, the order’s implicit support for march-in rights might lead to the biggest change.

In this week's podcast edition of Five Must-Know Things: Novartis’s US strategy for inclisiran; Roche under pressure over prices for Actemra in COVID; Lambda coronavirus variant poses new challenge for vaccines; GSK loses its oncology R&D head; and a look at expected Q3 approvals in the US.

The pharmaceutical sector is often unfairly demonized in the drug pricing debate. Other participants exploit the complex US health care system almost with impunity.

Outcomes-based deals are important for launching cell and gene therapies in Germany, but bluebird bio’s painful experience with Zynteglo shows the importance of the taking the right approach to ensure market success.