Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are under the microscope again, this time for the price markups their affiliated specialty pharmacies charge for generic drugs used to treat cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis and other serious conditions.
The fact that both the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice have oversight of mergers and acquisitions is something of a regulatory oddity. But David Balto, an attorney specializing on antitrust matters, told BioWorld that this may change in 2025 thanks to support for such a move from both Congress and the White House.
The drug and device industries have a lot hinging on the results of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential and congressional elections. Tax policies. The reach of the FTC. Legislation aimed at drug prices, competition, pharmacy benefit managers and lab-developed tests. Cabinet and agency appointments that could reshape Medicare drug negotiations, the 340B program, FDA Orange Book device patent listings, regulatory flexibility and Bayh-Dole march-ins. And that’s just the top of the list.
