"Right-to-try" law author pushes FDA to enforce it as written
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., penned a letter to the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday, taking issue with some of Commissioner Scott Gottlieb's comments on the recently passed "right-to-try" legislation.
Johnson, who authored the bill, disputed Gottlieb's comments that the FDA may need to issue regulations or guidance to ensure the law was enforced effectively.
"This law intends to diminish the FDA's power over people's lives, not increase it," Johnson wrote. "It is not meant to grant FDA more power or enable the FDA to write new guidance, rules or regulations that would limit the ability of an individual facing a life-threatening disease from accessing treatments."
President Donald Trump signed the bill into law this week. It was opposed by many Democrats and public health experts. (Letter)
Trump: Drug companies will announce price cuts "soon"
Trump said that major drug companies would announce "massive" price drops in two weeks but didn't specify which companies would be lowering their prices.
"I think we're going to have some of the big drug companies in two weeks said they're going to announce, because of what we did, they're going to announce voluntary massive drops in prices," Trump said.
The administration unveiled its plan for tackling rising drug prices—called "American Patients First"—in early May. (Reuters)
Congress "too scared" of AMA to take on the opioid crisis, senator says
The American Medical Association's lobbying power may be one of the major barriers to congressional action aimed at curbing opioid prescriptions, according to one senator.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said at a meeting of advocates in late May that some of his fellow legislators were "too scared to take on the AMA" by pushing for strict prescribing limits and mandatory physician education in opioid epidemic legislation. Those policies are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but opposed by the AMA.
The AMA said the CDC's call for strict, three-day limits does not gel with other guidelines on opioids issued by the agency. (The Daily Beast)
Cash-strapped Nashville General Hospital extends CEO's contract for 3 years
Nashville General Hospital will extend its CEO Joseph Webb's contract for three years amid ongoing financial troubles and concerns about poor bookkeeping.
Webb has helmed the public hospital since 2015, and it was revealed in an audit last year that it had been unable to keep track of patient payments and its major expenses. Webb was brought in to stabilize the facility.
Webb's existing contract was set to expire on June 30. Hospital officials will meet June 11 to finalize payment and other details of the contract extension. (The Tennessean)
Weill Cornell adds new academic department of emergency medicine
Weill Cornell Medicine has launched a department of emergency medicine as a new academic discipline under its medical school.
Rahul Sharma, M.D., emergency physician-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, will head the department. The new department will also facilitate research projects, according to an announcement.
“NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine are leading the way in emergency medicine, research and new innovations in patient care,” said Steven J. Corwin, M.D., CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian. “The new Department of Emergency Medicine, under the leadership of Dr. Sharma, will be a wonderful asset to our institutions that will enhance the care we provide to our patients.”