Pro-family tax policy: The case of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
There is currently a debate among policy analysts and commentators about whether the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) was “pro-family.”
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Hey World: Do Not Ban E-Cigarettes
There is a hot debate in many countries over youth use of e-cigarettes, electronic devices that deliver nicotine to consumers without the deadly tar found in the smoke from traditional cigarettes. Although nicotine is not a carcinogen, it is still bad for developing brains and should not be used by young adults or pregnant women. At the same time, e-cigarettes offer real advantages over traditional tobacco products for smokers who are otherwise unable to quit.
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Employers Could Reap Substantial Savings Through Biosimilars, But Not Without Targeted Effort
“A new report from Matrix Global Advisors and the National Business Group on Health, sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, shows that employers could see substantial savings from biosimilars, but those savings won’t come without a concerted effort to encourage biosimilar use.”
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New MGA Paper Estimates Biosimilar Savings Opportunities for Large Employers
This paper estimates the savings opportunity from biosimilars in the medical benefit of a large employer-sponsored health plan, using real-world claims data. This analysis illustrates the savings potential of biosimilars in the commercial market and highlights the important role of employer-sponsored plans in promoting biosimilar utilization.
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The Economics of Biologic Drugs
The market for biologic drugs in the United States is large and growing. Total US biologic sales in 2018 is estimated to have been $125 billion, an increase of 50 percent since 2014.
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Debate Over Whether Biologics Constitute Natural Monopolies Continues
“Peter B. Bach, MD, a well-known critic of high drug prices, along with Jennifer A. Ohn, MPH, Preston Atteberry, MD, and Mark Trusheim, MSc, first wrote in April that biosimilar competition is an economically inefficient way to achieve the goal of lower prices; the biosimilar environment is different than the one that exists in the generic marketplace for small-molecule drugs. These authors said, instead, that biosimilars are natural monopolies and as such need price regulation in order for them to succeed and for prices to come down.”
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MGA’s Alex Brill on CNBC’s Squawk Box
“I think its a solid [GDP] number. Obviously the inventory piece creates a little bit of volatility and the investment numbers are a disappointment, but not a surprise. Overall we see a strong consumers. On the Fed, I would agree with Austin. What the Fed has to do now more than ever is try to block out the political noise, focus on the data and make the best call to boost their credibility or sustain their credibility.”
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Conservative Thinkers Share Their Views for Biosimilars in a Post-ACA, BPCIA Landscape
“Would legislators take the opportunity to redo some parts of the BPCIA, if they had the chance? Both [Alex] Brill and Hayes said while that, too, is theoretically possible—such as shortening the period of patent exclusivity or changing other aspects of the patent dance—the danger is that it would then get stuck in the quagmire of politics.”
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Shortened Exclusivity Could Save $31B
“Brand-name medicines’ market exclusivity periods have climbed an average of 2.2 years since the mid-1990s, steadily delaying the market arrival of generic rivals. Reversing that trend alone could save the U.S. health care system roughly $31.7 billion, according to a Matrix report commissioned by the Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs, a group of insurers, pharmacy benefit managers and large employers.”
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MGA’s Alex Brill on CNBC’s Squawk Box
Today, Brill discusses President Trump’s potential appointment options for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
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