Don't stop at insulin...

[digsub]

2019: Over recent months, the national price point of the rectal indomethacin suppository (manufactured by G&W Laboratories, Inc, South Plainfield, NJ, USA, and distributed by Iroko Pharmaceuticals, LLC, Philadelphia, Pa, USA), used under guideline recommendation for prophylaxis of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) has risen more than 3200%, from approximately $10 USD to anywhere from $320 to over $400 USD for 100 mg rectal indomethacin. Currently, 100 mg oral indomethacin costs less than $2 USD. The recent cost increase is passed on directly to the patient. https://www.giejournal.org/article/S0016-5107(19)32241-2/fulltext]

Today on GoodRx:

2 x 50mg indomethacin oral capsules $1.96 - 8.84
https://www.goodrx.com/indomethacin?form=capsule&dosage=50mg&quantity=2&label_override=indomethacin]

2 x 50mg indomethacin suppositories $109.66 - 664.12
https://www.goodrx.com/indomethacin?form=suppository&dosage=50mg&quantity=2&label_override=indomethacin]

IMHO Especially medications that are guideline recommendations should have prices capped.

[area51]

1. The problem

is that our govt. thinks healthcare is a luxury, that we choose to get sick, and that we're not worth keeping alive. It's why we're extremely unlikely to get universal healthcare in the US.

[Celerity]

2. at least 4 centrist Democrats are trying to scupper Biden's pharma cost reductions

Democrats Josh Gottheimer (NJ), Wiley Nickel (NC), Scott Peters (CA), and Donald Davis (NC) are all co-sponsoring at least one of multiple bills that would stifle regulators’ ability to bring down prices of drugs covered by the Medicare. The bills would significantly reduce or outright block the drug price reduction framework contained in Biden's 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

3 of the 4 are No Labels' Problem Solvers Caucus members, with Gottheimer being the co-chair, and the 4th, Davis, was the lone Democratic co-sponsor of a bill by Rethugs Greg Murphy and Brett Guthrie that significantly weakens Medicare's ability to lower prices:

The lone Democrat willing to weaken Medicare’s power to negotiate drug prices

https://www.statnews.com/2024/02/05/democrat-weaken-medicare-drug-price-negotiation/

All 4 are in the moderate/centrist New Democrat Coalition, and Nickel and Gottheimer are also in the conservative Blue Dog Coalition.

One of the bills, the Optimizing Research Progress Hope and News (ORPHAN) Cures Act, would exclude vital drugs for many diseases from the price reduction process.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5539/text?s=1&r=88

Two other bills,

the Maintaining Investments in New Innovation (MINI) Act

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5547

and the Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act,

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/7174/cosponsors?s=7&r=1

would delay or block the price reduction apparatus for many other drugs.

The four have cumulatively taken in more than $400,000 from Big Pharma during just the 2023–2024 congressional session.

https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/don-davis/industries?cid=N00049636&cycle=2024

https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/josh-gottheimer/industries?cid=N00036944&cycle=2024

https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/wiley-nickel/pacs?cid=N00049133&cycle=2024

https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/scott-peters/industries?cid=N00033591&cycle=2024