Genentech, the biotech giant leading the charge for drug manufacturer audits of 340B safety net health care providers, admitted yesterday that it overcharged those caregivers for a big chunk of its entire product line from the middle of 2008 through the middle of 2011. The California-based company's Swiss owner, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, racked up 9.54 billion Swiss francs in … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2013
Genentech Issuing Refunds for 340B Overcharges
Notice covers 19 products sold between 3Q 2008 and 2Q 2011(UPDATED September 3, 2013 with comment from Genentech) August 29, 2013—The biopharmaceutical giant Genentech will be providing refunds to 340B covered entities on 19 of its products sold from the third quarter of 2008 through the second quarter of 2011 due to a recalculation of its Medicaid average manufacturer prices and best prices, according to a notice by the company … [Read more...]
HHS Report Urges Huge Reduction in Critical Access Hospitals
Roughly 65% of CAHs receive 340B drug discountsAugust 19, 2013—A Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report recommending a nearly two-thirds cut in the number of critical access hospitals (CAHs) would "kill rural health care," the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) says. … [Read more...]
340B Hospital Recertification to Begin on Aug. 19
Rural and cancer hospitals will have to declare how they will buy orphan drugsAugust 14, 2013—Rural and cancer hospitals will get their first hands-on experience complying with the new 340B orphan drug exclusion regulation beginning next Monday, the start of the four-week period during which they and all other 340B hospitals must recertify their eligibility for the drug discount program. … [Read more...]
113 Members of Congress Take a Stand for 340B
With the 340B program taking punches from the drug industry almost daily, a bipartisan group of 84 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 29 Members of the U.S. Senate have placed themselves right in the program's corner. The letters were spearheaded by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Reps. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Kathy Castor … [Read more...]
113 Members of Congress Sign Letters Supporting 340B
Savings enable hospitals to expand services, serve more patients, and offset losses, they sayAugust 9, 2013—More than 100 members of Congress (84 representatives and 29 senators) have signed letters to leaders of their respective chambers expressing their "bipartisan support" for the 340B drug discount program. … [Read more...]
Senator Hatch Criticizes 340B Orphan Drug Exclusion Rule
HRSA interpreted law incorrectly, he tells Administrator Wakefield in letterAugust 2, 2013—Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has sent a letter to HRSA Administrator Mary Wakefield saying the agency's 340B orphan drug exclusion final regulation is "incorrectly interpreting the law" and diminishes incentives for orphan drug development. … [Read more...]