This flu season is shaping up to be a lot milder than last year's nightmare, and scientists attribute that in large part to a more effective vaccine.
The big picture: This year's flu shot is about 47% effective against the dominant strain of influenza, per NBC News. Last year's shot was 36% effective at this interim stage. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that somewhere between 9,600 and 15,900 people have died from the flu since Oct. 1. That puts this flu season on pace to be a lot less deadly than last year's, when 80,000 people died.
Hospitals are reaping big windfalls from commonly used drugs, marking them up 3-7 times above their average sales prices, according to an analysis by Wall Street firm AllianceBernstein.
Why it matters: The way hospitals charge for drugs — and the consolidation that's helping to fuel this trend — leads to higher insurance premiums across the board.
Congressional Republicans are increasingly open to cracking down on the tactics pharmaceutical companies use to keep competition at bay — changes that were once a non-starter for the GOP.
Why it matters: Critics say drug companies manipulate the patent system to extend their monopolies and keep prices high. The industry has billions of dollars on the line as lawmakers take a closer look at changing those patent rules.
