Mar 6, 2017 - Health

New report says multiple sclerosis drugs are overpriced

Rogelio Solis / AP

At least 400,000 Americans have multiple sclerosis, and they are paying too much for their drugs to treat the condition, according to a new report from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review.

ICER, a not-for-profit group that the pharmaceutical industry loathes, attempts to identify the cost effectiveness of drugs. Many of the multiple sclerosis drugs ICER studied are clinically effective. But the group's president, Dr. Steven Pearson, said in a statement that "high prices and regular price increases contribute significantly to restrictions on coverage and access that make it difficult for patients to get the medications they need." Multiple sclerosis drugs cost between $63,000 per year and more than $100,000 per year.

Companies in the crosshairs that make multiple sclerosis drugs: AbbVie, Bayer, Biogen, Genentech, Merck, Novartis, Sanofi, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.

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Fadel Allassan
9 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Americans reflect on Independence Day amid racism reckoning

A Black Lives Matter banner and a United States flag on the facade of the U.S. embassy building in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Simon Shin/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

America's leaders are rethinking how they view Independence Day, as the country reckons with the historic, unequal treatment of people of color during a pandemic which has disproportionately affected nonwhite Americans.

Why it matters: The country’s legacy of racism has come into sharp focus in the weeks of protests following the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. From Confederate statues to Mount Rushmore, Americans are reexamining the symbols and traditions they elevate and the history behind them.

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Axios
Updated 12 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 11,031,905 — Total deaths: 523,777 — Total recoveries — 5,834,337 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 7 p.m. ET: 2,788,395 — Total deaths: 129,306 — Total recoveries: 790,404 — Total tested: 34,213,497 — Map.
  3. States: ICU beds in Arizona's hot spot reach near capacity.
  4. Public health: The states where face coverings are mandatory — Fauci says it has been a "very disturbing week" for the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S.
  5. Economy: The economy may recover just quickly enough to kill political interest in more stimulus.
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Rashaan Ayesh
14 hours ago - Sports

Washington Redskins to review team name amid public pressure

Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

The Washington Redskins have announced they will be conducting a review of the team's name after mounting pressure from the public and corporate sponsors.

Why it matters: This review is the first formal step the Redskins are taking since the debate surrounding the name first began. It comes after weeks of discussions between the team and the NFL, the team said.

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