pharma industry news from FierceHealthcare

Physicians and drug makers walk a fine line when it comes to their relationships with each other. For three psychiatrists affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Read more...

The pharma industry isn't developing new drugs fast enough, so federal officials have decided to launch a government drug development center, the New York Times reports. The new center, which will be Read more...

While some medical schools continue to get smarter when it comes to implementing conflict-of-interest policies, as FierceHealthcare reported last Friday, many physicians at several prominent schools Read more...

Most consumers don't think doctors should have such a tight relationship with big pharma, according to the second annual prescription drug survey conducted by Consumer Reports National Research Read more...

The District of Columbia is considering a measure which could make it the first jurisdiction in the U.S. to require pharmaceutical reps to obtain a license. The measure, the SafeRX act, would not Read more...

Pharma lobbyists are facing new challenges this month as the House of Representatives takes on a new FDA overhaul bill which could limit consumer drug advertising. Critics have suggested that such advertising can boost spending unnecessarily, but observers--including some not on the pharmas' payroll--suggest that the ads help educate consumers about new treatment options.

The Senate version of the bill had imposed a ban on consumer drug advertising during the first two years a drug …

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With New York becoming yet another state to consider regulating pharmaceutical company gift-giving, it's worth considering whether such regs are likely to achieve their intended purpose.

Here's my premise: No …

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While some critics would vigorously dispute the idea, a representative of the pharma industry is arguing that its close relationships with physicians are actually good for the industry. Pharma outreach to physicians makes sure that the physicians get the latest information on drugs from the companies that know the drugs' strengths and weaknesses best, which helps keep prescribing safe, says Scott Lassman, senior assistant general counsel for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Editorial

Something may be giving in the eternal fight between managed care and the pharma business over brand-name drug costs. Prescription drug prices rose at the slowest pace in a decade during 2006, climbing 8.2 percent, compared with 9 percent in 2005, according to prescription management firm Express Scripts. Experts don't expect the smaller increases to continue, however, as they anticipate that fewer costly high-volume brand name drugs will go generic in coming years.

Meanwhile, drug …

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A federal judge in Boston has accepted a $435 million settlement with Schering Sales and parent company Schering-Plough over allegations that the drug company illegally marketed off-label uses to physicians and lied to federal agencies about drug pricing. Under the settlement, which was reached in August, Schering Sales pleaded guilty to conspiracy and agreed to $180 million in criminal penalties, while Schering-Plough offered $255 million rather than face a civil trial, the …

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