
I chuckled during the E&C hearing when members were questioning the panelists about the pharmaceutical deals with the Administration. As if these are the people they should be asking. Make a left, make right, go down about a mile – there’s a big white house. Maybe they can help you there. Parallels Between 340B and…

In case you thought I’d leaving you hanging, today’s newsletter has a summary on GLOBE. Sphere it below? Calling it a Plan would be GENEROUS, but that’s a Whole Other Thing. On Thursday, the White House released a fact sheet urging Congress to enact President Trump’s “Great Healthcare Plan,” pitching it as a cost-cutting package…

Something is bugging me this week. Okay, lots of things are bugging me this week, but the one that is relevant to this newsletter is the STAT News headline that implied it is awesome to be a pharmaceutical executive in 2026. This week, there were reports of more than 25,000 layoffs in pharma last year.…

Much of this week felt like playing catch-up from past weeks. Good timing because rumors are swirling about Most Favored Nation (MFN) demonstration releases for late next week. Comment letter fun during the holidays! For those of you who are new to these parts… welcome! I’m a health policy strategist focused on pharmaceuticals. My goal…

It is the kind of month where I walk around with a legal pad to capture all the random thoughts floating around my head. Which is how “figure out gift baking (scones? Levain cookies?)” ends up next to “Look at MedPAC agenda.” There are no dull moments around here. While I’m on the topic. MedPAC…

Ho, Ho. Ho, Ho. It’s likely back to work you go. If you checked out the last week, here is what you might need to know before you get too far into your week. I will have the regular AMP is WAC on Friday but a catch-up felt in order. Waiting Game. The rollout of…

This week is such a kick in the pants with it getting dark so early. I’ve become like a cat chasing the daylight from room to room, ending my day on a swivel club chair that catches the very last rays of the setting sun. Have laptop, will travel. Shoe Drop. Late yesterday afternoon, the…

This week, I felt like my brain experienced a “low memory” error. My capacity was maxed out trying to tackle a Python coding challenge—a task that exists in an entirely different universe than my usual work. It was a blend of excitement and absurdity. But being outside one’s comfort zone actually feels pretty relevant to…

Caught my Eye Cool Idea, But. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) puts announced a new pilot prioritization program for the review of Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs) to support generic manufacturing in the U.S. I mean it sounds good, except… there are three criteria for applicants: Only 9% of API manufacturers are in the…

Going crazy? Or is it just a party of one? This past month as been brutal. My house has been a parade of plumbers and HVAC and electricians. Plus, visits to orthopedists and veterinarians and car mechanics. If the universe is trying to say something, all I’m hearing is that I’m scoring a ton of…