Anthem Says Will Not Cover Sarepta’s Approved Duchenne Drug

Reuters, October 7, 2016. To keep health insurance affordable, companies need to ensure that they are paying for safe and effective treatments, said Diana Zuckerman, president of non-profit organization National Center for Health Research. “When FDA fails to ensure those standards, then ‘FDA approval’ is no longer a gold standard that insurance companies can rely on,” she said.

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Furor Over Drug Prices Puts Patient Advocacy Groups in Bind

The New York Times, September 27, 2016. Public anger over the cost of medical products has burned hot for a year, coursing through social media, popping up on the presidential campaign, and erupting in a series of congressional hearings, including one last week over the rising price of the allergy treatment EpiPen.

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FDA Approves Muscular Dystrophy Drug That Patients Lobbied For

The New York Times, September 19, 2016. The Food and Drug Administration approved the first drug to treat patients with the most common childhood form of muscular dystrophy. The agency’s approval went against the recommendation of FDA experts and the agency’s independent Advisory Committee. “The agency has set a dangerous precedent,” said Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research.

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