STAT+: Pharmalittle: House panel OKs bills to halt pharma practices that raise prices; Merck to buy Acceleron for $11.5 billion

Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. This morning is getting off to a fabulous start, though, as a delightfully warm sun is enveloping the subdued Pharmalot campus, where the official mascot is snoozing and the leaves are ever so slowly starting to drop off the towering pin oaks outside. As always, we are quaffing some cups of stimulation — butter pecan is our choice du jour — and assembling some tidbits for your pleasure. So, time to get cracking, especially since we must prepare for a chat today about biosimilars. Hope you have a smashing day, and do stay in touch. We always enjoy your tips and insights. …

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee voted to approve three bills to stop practices drug makers use to raise prices and fend off competition, including a bill to ban the tactic of paying generic companies to delay bringing cheaper versions of their medicines to market, Reuters reports. While the votes were not unanimous, they passed the committee by a big margin. One measure would stop a practice called product hopping in which a minor tweak is made to the formula of a medication to win a new patent and therefore a longer period of exclusivity.

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