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What We're Reading: Generic Drug Prices Declined in 2015
What we're reading, December 30, 2015: most commonly used generic drugs were cheaper at the end of 2015, meanwhile the FDA has a huge backlog of generic drug applications, and few states are expected to expand Medicaid in 2016.
While price hikes for drugs became a topic of much focus in 2015, the reality is that despite the fact that prescription drug spending increased and will continue to grow, many commonly used generic drugs were actually cheaper at the end of the year compared to the beginning. The Washington Post reported that 30 of the 50 most popular generic drugs have declined in price, but Americans are paying more out-of-pocket costs.
Meanwhile, the FDA has a huge backlog of 4300 generic drug applications awaiting approval, according to STAT. The FDA has blamed drugmakers for slowing the process with sloppy and incomplete applications. While many of the backlogged drugs have recently entered the pipeline, some go back to 2009.
Finally, with 20 states that have not yet expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, the Washington Examiner is expecting few changes in 2016. Governors in only 3 states—South Dakota, Wyoming, and Louisiana—are expected to push for the program’s expansion. With a Democratic governor, Louisiana is the most likely to first make a change. Other states have recently had fierce debates over the right move, but ultimately ended up deadlocked.
Personalized Care Key as Tirzepatide Use Expands Rapidly
April 15th 2025Using commercial insurance claims data and the US launch of tirzepatide as their dividing point, John Ostrominski, MD, Harvard Medical School, and his team studied trends in the use of both glucose-lowering and weight-lowering medications, comparing outcomes between adults with and without type 2 diabetes.
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SGLT2 Inhibitors Show Renal Benefits in HF and CKD as Prescribers Target Uptake Gaps
April 15th 2025Abstracts featured at the National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meeting highlighted the renoprotective benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors in heart failure and diabetic kidney disease while emphasizing the need for strategies to increase their uptake in primary care.
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Health Equity & Access Weekly Roundup: April 14, 2025
April 14th 2025From the potential impact of tariffs to the World Health Organization's year-long campaign launch focused on improving maternal and newborn health and addressing preventable deaths, here's the latest from the Center on Health Equity & Access.
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