BioCentury
ARTICLE | Politics & Policy

Senator mulling action on Orphan drug pricing

February 11, 2017 12:16 AM UTC

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is investigating whether "unanticipated uses" of Orphan drug provisions are contributing to high drug prices, spokesperson Jill Gerber told BioCentury. In a statement, Grassley said his staff is "meeting with interested groups and other Senate staff to get their view on the extent of the problem and how we might fix it."

Grassley said his investigation was motivated by an analysis from Kaiser Health News, which suggested that some drug manufacturers are manipulating provisions in the Orphan Drug Act beyond their original intent “to maximize profits and to protect niche markets.” The report found that more than 70 drugs that now have Orphan status were first approved by FDA for mass market use, and that more than 80 other drugs have multiple Orphan approvals. Kaiser said seven of the ten best-selling drugs in the U.S. in 2015 have Orphan status, including Humira adalimumab and Enbrel etanercept...

BCIQ Company Profiles

Marathon Pharmaceuticals LLC