STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a Medicare pilot and orphan drugs, Pfizer cutbacks, and more

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the middle of the week. Congratulations on making it this far, and remember there are only a few more days until the weekend arrives. So keep plugging away. After all, what are the alternatives? While you ponder the possibilities, we invite you to join us for a needed cup of stimulation. Our choice today is ginseng honey, a favorite from our pantry. Meanwhile, here is the latest menu of tidbits to help you on your way. We hope you conquer the world and have a wonderful day. And as always, please do stay in touch. … Excluding rare disease drugs from a Medicare pilot program known as GUARD to lower prices would wipe out much of the savings from retail meds, STAT writes. The program applies to retail drugs in Medicare Part D. Biotechs are lobbying the Trump administration to exclude rare disease drugs from the program, which is part of a plan to get drugmakers to lower prices in the U.S. to levels seen in other wealthy countries, an approach known as “most-favored nation.” Thomas Hwang, who heads the Cancer Innovation and Regulation Initiative at Harvard Medical School, said that if all companies that agreed to most-favored nation deals were exempted, potential savings would be cut by 71%. There are no talks ongoing between AstraZeneca and ​Bristol Myers Squibb over a potential ‌deal, quashing the ​prospect of a mooted mega merger ​between the drugmakers, Reuters reports. “There is no deal ⁠between AstraZeneca and BMS. There never ​was a deal to be done, and ​there are no discussions between the companies,” said a source, speaking on condition of anonymity. On Sunday, The Financial Times reported that the two drug makers had held ‌preliminary ⁠talks about a possible deal that would create a pharmaceutical behemoth with a combined value of nearly $400 billion. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts. Already have an account? Log in View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe