U.S. officials pressured Germany to pay more for drugs

Trump administration officials told the German ambassador to the United States at a recent meeting that the European country should pay more for medicines, according to a person familiar with the encounter.

The report comes as president touts his health policy achievements ahead of the midterm elections, particularly the "most-favored nation" deals he's struck with pharma companies that aim to get drug prices in “peer nations” in line with prices in the U.S.

At the meeting, U.S. officials discussed the possible use of tariffs under Section 301 — which grants the government authority to combat trade practices considered “unfair.” The ambassador agreed to review the matter with officials in Germany, but no deal was made, the person said.

pharma

A political contest in the U.K. could shake up drug pricing

From my colleague Drew Joseph: When non-health news occurs, we sometimes joke in the newsroom, “What's the STAT angle on that?” In the case of the fast-developing saga of who might lead the U.K. government, squint and you can actually see a STAT angle.

Wes Streeting resigned his post as health secretary yesterday, potentially setting up a leadership challenge to the current embattled prime minister, Keir Starmer. While much of Streeting’s work in the position he has vacated focused on improving the National Health Service, he was also a key part of the the government’s efforts to woo drugmakers to increase their investments in the country.

The campaign was not always successful, with a number of companies last year bailing on planned projects in protest of what they saw as the commercial challenges in the U.K. But Streeting, who has portrayed himself as a business-friendly Labour politician, was fairly early in saying that the U.K. should pay more for drugs (something not everyone in his party agreed with), which presaged the U.K.-U.S. drug pricing deal struck late last year that increased drug spending and reformed a clawback tax that the pharma industry despises.

Since the deal was reached, pharma investments in the U.K. have started to tick back up.

podcast

Makary, Cassidy, and the fate of federal health policy

This week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD” is all about health politics.

We bring on STAT's FDA reporter, Lizzy Lawrence, to discuss Marty Makary’s departure from the agency — why he is leaving, which of his policies will stick, and what we know about Kyle Diamantas, who has replaced Makary on an acting basis.

STAT Washington correspondent Chelsea Cirruzzo also joins us to discuss a closely tracked Republican Senate primary election this weekend. Bill Cassidy, chair of the Senate health committee, is up against two upstart rivals, and the outcome could have far reaching implications for Trump’s health care agenda.

Listen here.

More around STAT