STAT+: Pharmalittle: Pharma wages ‘hail Mary’ campaign to sink reconciliation bill; Moderna inks $1.74 billion deal with U.S. for Omicron shot

And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Once again, our agenda is rather modest. We plan to tidy around the castle, promenade with the official mascot, catch up on our reading, and maybe take a nap or three. And what about you? If weather permits, you could enjoy the great outdoors, although do keep a water bottle handy. You could reach out to someone special. Or maybe stop to plan the future; after all, the vial is half full, is it not? Well, no time for debates. Whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you soon. …

Drugmakers are waking up to the reality that a revived budget reconciliation bill pushed by Democrats has a shot at enactment, and are waging an intense lobbying campaign on Capitol Hill and over the airwaves in a last-minute attempt to bring it down, Politico explains. The bill would allow Medicare for the first time to negotiate prices of some of the most costly drugs used by American seniors, threatening billions in revenue, and punish drug companies if they raise prices faster than the rate of inflation. For the pharmaceutical players impacted most by the bill, this is the equivalent of a five-alarm fire.

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