Drugmakers sue to stop expansion of drug discount program

The trade group for pharmaceutical companies, PhRMA, has filed another lawsuit to try to block a government rule meant to widen the number of products included in a federal drug discount program for so-called safety net hospitals and clinics.

The Wall Street Journal's Pharmalot: Pharma Sues Again Over Orphan Drug Discounts To Hospitals
An ongoing feud between the pharmaceutical industry and a federal agency over a discount drug program for certain hospitals is back in court. The industry trade group has filed another lawsuit trying to block the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration from enforcing a rule that allows so-called safety net hospitals and clinics to obtain orphan drugs at a discount. Orphan drugs are used to treat rare diseases (Silverman, 10/9).

CQ Healthbeat: Drugmakers Launch New Bid To Stop Expansion Of Drug Discounts
The trade group for the nation's pharmaceutical companies is fighting a rule meant to widen the number of products involved in a federal drug discount program. This latest skirmish over what's known as the 340B program involves a Department of Health and Human Services rule on "orphan drugs," medicines that often can be approved for a mix of both rare and common conditions. The battle is playing out as officials try to develop what is known as a megarule for the 340B program (Young, 10/9).