House Democrats launch probe into MS drug pricing

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

#POLITICS AUGUST 17, 2017 / 11:34 AM / AN HOUR AGO

House Democrats launch probe into MS drug pricing

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said on Thursday they are launching an investigation into why prices for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) treatments have nearly quadrupled since 2004, and they sent letters requesting information from seven drugmakers.

U.S. Representatives Elijah Cummings and Peter Welch sent the letters to Bayer AG, Biogen Inc, EMD Serono, Novartis AG, Roche Holding AG, Sanofi SA, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Inc.

The lawmakers said in the letters that they were looking to determine whether drug companies are raising prices for MS drugs in lockstep with their competitors.

The letters said that the average cost of MS therapy rose to more than $60,000 in 2015 from $16,050 in 2004.

Reporting by Michael Erman; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and David Gregorio

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pharmaceuticals-pricing-idUSKCN1AX1XC

[BigmanPigman]

1. They need to take on Big Pharm once and for all.