Hemo Alliance Newsletters

Legal Update, July 2023

Legal Update

Lawsuits on Implementation of Medicare Drug Pricing Negotiation
by Elizabeth “Issie” Karan, Hemophilia Alliance Legal Counsel

In recent weeks, pharmaceutical manufacturers, including Merk, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and PhRMA, and the Chamber of Commerce have filed a slew of lawsuits challenging the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act. Merck argued before the DC District Court that the law unfairly forces companies to participate in Medicare’s “price-setting,” and compared the program to “when a regime forces political prisoners to accept responsibility at show trials before they are shipped to the gulag.” Now the Chamber of Commerce has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction, requesting a halt to the agency’s drug price negotiation program while the group’s legal challenge proceeds.

Medicare price negotiations are set to take place over the course of 2023 and 2024, with the established prices not expected to go into effect until the start of 2026. However, these lawsuits could delay that timeline. Importantly for HTCs, Medicare Drug Pricing Negotiations only implicates Part D medications at first, which would not include treatments for bleeding and clotting disorders.

Also in this Issue…

Notes from Joe
· Gene Therapy is Here, Now What?

Notes from the Community
· First Hemophilia Patient to Receive Gene Therapy Outside Clinical Trials

Alliance Update
· Gene Therapy Update Webinar
· Alliance Member Needs Assessment
· Order Your Printed Product Guide NOW!

Payer Update
· Hemophilia Alliance Welcomes Kollet Koulianos
· What the Data Shows on Copay Accumulator Adjustment Programs

Advocacy Update
· Washington, DC’s HOT July

Team Alliance Contact Information

We work for you! Please don’t hesitate to contact any of us with any questions or concerns:

Name Email Phone
Jeff Blake jeff@hemoalliance.org 317-657-5913
Jennifer Borrillo, MSW, LCSW, MBA borrillo@hemoalliance.org 504-376-5282
Heidi Lane, PT, DPT, PCS heidi@hemoalliance.org 435-659-1230
Jeff Amond amond@hemoalliance.org 608-206-3132
Jennifer Anders jennifer@hemoalliance.org 954-218-8509
Angela Blue, MBA angela@hemoalliance.org 651-308-3902
Karen Bowe-Hause karen@hemoalliance.org 717-571-0266
Zack Duffy zack@hemoalliance.org 503-804-2581
Michael B. Glomb MGlomb@ftlf.com 202-466-8960
Johanna Gray, MPA jgray@artemispolicygroup.com 703-304-8111
Kiet Huynh kiet@hemoalliance.org 917-362-1382
Elizabeth Karan elizabeth@karanlegalgroup.com 612-202-3240
Kollet Koulianos, MBA kollet@hemoalliance.org 309-397-8431
Roland P. Lamy, Jr. roland@hemoalliance.org 603-491-0853
Dr. George L. Oestreich, Pharm.D., MPA george@gloetal.com 573-230-7075
Theresa Parker theresa@hemoalliance.org 727-688-2568
Mark Plencner mark@hemoalliance.org 701-318-2910
Ellen Riker eriker@artemispolicygroup.com 202-257-6670