Trending News Today: US State Lawsuits Continue to Target Purdue Over Opioid Epidemic

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) expressed concerns about President Trump’s new plan to reduce drug prices, The Hill reported. According to the article, Lori Reilly, an executive vice president of PhRMA, said in a statement that several of the proposals would harm patient access to drugs. Particularly, Reilly raised concerns about the administration’s proposals to move drugs from Medicare Part B into Part D, the article reported.

Six more US states on Tuesday announced lawsuits against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP, according to Reuters. The article reported that the states are accusing the company of fueling the opioid epidemic by deceptively marketing its prescription painkillers to generate billions of dollars in sales. US state attorney generals of Nevada, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Tennessee also said that Purdue Pharma violated state consumer protection laws by falsely denying or downplaying addiction risk while overstating the opioid’s benefits, according to the article.

According to a new study, physicians are often slow to switch patients to more intensive diabetes treatments when the patient’s disease isn’t well controlled, Reuters reported. In the study, researchers examined electronic health records for 7389 patients with poorly controlled diabetes between 2005 and 2016. The study’s findings indicated that only about one-third of patients with poorly controlled blood sugar on oral drugs were switched to higher doses, different drugs, or insulin within 6 months, according to the article.