What We’re Reading: Bertagnolli’s NIH Hearing; Pfizer Sets Paxlovid Price; Initiative to Prevent Overdoses in Pregnancy

Bertagnolli Hints at Priorities as NIH Director in Senate Hearing

After her confirmation hearing was held up by Sen Bernie Sanders (I, Vermont) seeking more action on drug pricing reform, President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Monica Bertagnolli, MD, at last took the stand to answer questions from a Senate committee, according to Nature. Bertagnolli, currently the director of the National Cancer Institute, testified that her priorities if she is confirmed to lead the NIH include enhancing collaboration across the agency, restoring public trust in science, and encouraging diversity in clinical trial participation. Senators appeared to praise her qualifications for the post but also pressed her on hot-button issues, such as drug pricing, fetal tissue research, and transgender health care.

Pfizer Sets $1390 List Price for 5-Day Paxlovid Course

Pfizer announced that it will set a list price of $1390 for its COVID-19 antiviral, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid), emphasizing that the price is before any insurance discounts and “does not necessarily reflect the price a patient will pay,” CNN reports. Currently, the US government pays $530 per course, allowing patients to receive it free of charge, but with the country transitioning out of the emergency phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the drugmaker can now set a price in a traditional commercial market. HHS has said that individuals with Medicare, Medicaid, or no insurance will be able to get Paxlovid for free through 2024, and Pfizer plans to offer co-pay assistance programs to qualifying patients.

Programs Aim to Support Women at Risk for Drug Overdose During Pregnancy

Rates of fatal drug overdoses during and right after pregnancy continue to rise, so a federal initiative is distributing millions of dollars to programs that offer services to pregnant and postpartum women with prior or current drug use, according to KFF Health News. For instance, the Empowered program in Nevada provides support and supplies for about 100 women at any given time, with the goal of helping mothers abstain from substance use and keep custody of their babies. Experts note that the funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services is especially important for rural areas with sparse access to substance abuse treatment; for instance, Nevada has fewer than 1 treatment facility with specialized programs for pregnant or postpartum women per 1000 women of reproductive age with substance use disorders.