WASHINGTON (Reuters)—U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Chief Scott Gottlieb said he plans to step down in a month, calling into question how the agency will handle critical issues, such as e-cigarette use among teens and efforts to increase competition in prescription drugs. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees the…
FDA’s Gottlieb Blames Industry ‘Kabuki Drug Pricing’ for High Costs
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—U.S. Food and Drug Administration chief, Scott Gottlieb, criticized pharmacy benefit managers, health insurers and drugmakers on Wednesday for “Kabuki drug-pricing constructs” that profit the industry at the expense of consumers. The comments, made at a conference organized by a leading U.S. health insurer lobbying group, stoked speculation over what steps the administration of…
Ex-Pharma Exec Azar Is Top Choice to Run U.S. Health Agency
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—Alex Azar, a former pharmaceutical company executive, is U.S. President Donald Trump’s top pick to run the Department of Health and Human Services, two sources with knowledge of the confidential process said on condition of anonymity on Wednesday. Azar served at Eli Lilly for a decade, including five years as president of its U.S….
U.S. to Promote Use of Opioid Alternatives to Treat Addiction
(Reuters)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to encourage opioid addicts to use less harmful opioid drugs such as methadone and buprenorphine, a radical shift in policy that could agitate those in the addiction field who believe abstinence is the only effective treatment. Speaking before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Wednesday, FDA…