Trending News Today: FDA Approved Record-Breaking Number of Generics in 2017

Last year, the FDA approved a groundbreaking total of 1027 generic drugs, which the Trump administration said was part of ongoing efforts to combat high drug costs, according to The Hill. Although the significant number of approvals received bipartisan praise, many advocates expressed disappointment that more has not been done legislatively to address costs, The Hill reported. Congress is currently considering legislation that aims to increase generic drug competition and lower costs by prohibiting delay tactics frequently used by branded manufacturers, according to the article.

The results of a new poll suggest that only one-third of Americans are aware that the Affordable Care Act individual mandate was repealed, The Hill reported. Approximately 46% of respondents said that the mandate was not repealed, while another 18% were unsure, according to the article. Overall, the respondents ranked health care as an important issue, followed by the economy and jobs.

Within the past month, 3 states have introduced bills that would authorize generic drug manufacturers to promote off-label uses for their medications as long as the information provided is correct, STAT reported. Last year, Arizona was the first state to enact a similar law. The proposed laws come during a time in which the FDA is under pressure to loosen legislations surrounding off-label promotion of drugs, according to the article.