Federal Judge Michael Newman of the Southern District of Ohio upheld the controversial Medicare prescription pricing agreements to lower costs for elderly Americans.
The decision is a setback for the pharmaceutical industry, which has vigorously opposed the move, seeing it as a threat to their revenue growth and drug innovation.
The Chamber of Commerce, one of the country’s largest lobbying groups, sought a preliminary injunction to halt the price negotiations before the October 1 deadline.
This date marks the cutoff for manufacturers of the first ten drugs selected for negotiations to agree to participate in the talks.
The Chamber’s lawsuit argued that the drug negotiations violated the First and Fifth Amendments of the US Constitution and the separation of powers.
However, Judge Newman ruled that the Chamber had not demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success or irreparable harm, and thus, their request for a preliminary injunction was denied.
Nevertheless, the judge did not dismiss the lawsuit entirely but asked the Chamber to amend its complaint by October 13 to clarify specific details.
Additionally, he gave the Biden administration until October 27 to renew its motion to dismiss the case.
President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, which passed in a party-line vote last year, granted Medicare the authority to directly negotiate drug prices with manufacturers, a significant departure from the program’s history.
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Pharmaceutical Industry Challenges Medicare Drug Price Negotiations, Legal Battle Escalates
The pharmaceutical industry, including companies like Merck and Johnson & Johnson, has been concerned about the potential impact of these negotiations on their profits and drug innovation.
They argue that the program violates their due process rights under the Fifth Amendment by allowing the government to dictate prices for their medicines without providing sufficient procedural safeguards.
The legal battle surrounding these negotiations is not limited to the Chamber of Commerce’s lawsuit.
Different parties have filed multiple lawsuits seeking to declare the talks unconstitutional.
Legal experts suggest that the pharmaceutical industry may aim to obtain conflicting rulings from federal appellate courts, potentially fast-tracking the issue to the Supreme Court.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, Medicare covers approximately 66 million people in the US, and the drug price negotiations are expected to save the insurance program an estimated $98.5 billion over a decade.
The initial drug price reductions resulting from these negotiations will take effect in January 2026, potentially relieving millions of older Americans struggling with the high cost of medications.
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Source: CNBC
