Joshua Cohen

Boston

Contributor at Forbes

Health economist, researcher and writer on healthcare policy, drug pricing and reimbursement, political centrist, weather nut, diehard Red Sox and Bruins fan.

Articles

Dutch Court Case On Humira Assesses Whether Its Price Was `Excessive'

6 days ago | forbes.com | Joshua Cohen

In a unique legal challenge, the Dutch Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation is taking on the manufacturer of Humira (adalimumab), AbbVie, in a Dutch court today, May 9th, for alleged excessive profiteering. The Foundation is not seeking financial damages. Rather it wants a panel of judges to rule on the principle of what constitutes a reasonable profit. At the heart of the case is the question of whether there ought to be limits to what a company can charge for medicines.
Medicaid Savings May Include Lower Drug Prices Via Most Favored Nation

1 week ago | forbes.com | Joshua Cohen

As Republican lawmakers try to identify ways to cut costs in public programs such as Medicaid, they’re finding it harder to achieve than perhaps originally envisaged. Acceptable options for Republicans include adding work requirements and rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. But to achieve planned cuts of $88 billion annually, they’ll need to go further.
Trump Wants More Switches Of Rx-Only Drugs To Over-The-Counter

1 week ago | forbes.com | Joshua Cohen

President Trump’s recent executive order on pharmaceuticals includes a section on facilitating switches of prescription-only drugs to over-the-counter status. Attempts to address the issue of accelerating the pace of switches aren’t new, particularly as they relate to medications in therapeutic areas previously off limits for reclassifications. But without innovative ways to spur reclassifications, barriers to novel switches may persist.
Europe Seeks To Lure U.S. Scientists Disenfranchised Under Trump

1 week ago | forbes.com | Joshua Cohen

At a conference at Sorbonne University in Paris on Monday, May 5th, President Emmanuel Macron of France and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced incentives for researchers seeking to relocate to Europe.
Under Trump Administration Full Coverage Of HIV PrEP Drugs Uncertain

1 week ago | forbes.com | Joshua Cohen

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments last month in a case that could affect what kinds of preventive care services, technologies and medicines are covered at no charge to the patient as a result of provisions contained in the Affordable Care Act.
Trump May Explore Most Favored Nation Model To Lower Drug Prices

1 week ago | forbes.com | Joshua Cohen

The Trump administration may resurrect a most favored nation model which would peg what healthcare providers get paid for certain medications in the Medicare program in the United States to prices in peer countries. It’s unknown which prescription drugs could be targeted or whether such a model could be implemented through executive or legislative action. Should it be pursued, it would face considerable challenges in terms of implementation.
Trump Order Addressing Pill Penalty In Drug Price Law Faces Challenges

2 weeks ago | forbes.com | Joshua Cohen

President Trump signed an executive order last month on lowering the prices of prescription drugs. It proposes among other things a change to the Medicare drug pricing provision contained in the Inflation Reduction Act that could delay small molecule eligibility for negotiations by up to four years. Details regarding the exact time frame haven’t been revealed.
Novo Nordisk Forges Multiple Partnerships To Sell Wegovy At A Discount

2 weeks ago | forbes.com | Joshua Cohen

The pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to regain market share that it has lost to Eli Lilly in the lucrative obesity drug market. On Thursday, Novo Nordisk announced a new partnership with the conglomerate, CVS Health Corporation, which gives the weight loss drug Wegovy a preferred coverage status over its competitor Zepbound for customers who are insured for obesity medications.
Avoidable Deaths Decrease In High-Income Nations And Increase In U.S.

2 weeks ago | forbes.com | Joshua Cohen

Avoidable deaths are decreasing in high-income nations while they’re increasing in the United States. It’s a worrisome trend, which is partly responsible for the growing gap in life expectancy between the U.S. and its peers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. life expectancy took a bigger hit than its peers, as the graph below shows. The figure also depicts how U.S. life expectancy was stagnant between approximately 2010 and 2020, unlike other wealthy, industrialized nations.
Medicare Cuts Haven’t Been Included In Lawmakers' Plans But May Soon

1 month ago | forbes.com | Joshua Cohen

Thus far, Medicare seems off limits when it comes to budget cuts. With the exception of talk of reducing waste, fraud and abuse, the federal government health insurance program for the elderly and certain designated groups of disabled people has escaped discussion by Republican lawmakers with respect to their austerity plans. Medicaid, on the other hand, has not been as lucky.