Pharmaceuticals

  • Read more: The False Promise of Smart Pills in a Loosely Regulated Market

    The False Promise of Smart Pills in a Loosely Regulated Market

    By Spencer Andrews We’ve all had the experience: you receive a targeted ad on your phone or computer which mysteriously seems to read your mind. This happened to me recently when I, a busy law student, began receiving a wave of ads selling supplements which purport to improve brain focus, clarity, and memory. I had…

  • Read more: Can Washington State Change Pharmaceutical Advertising Forever?

    Can Washington State Change Pharmaceutical Advertising Forever?

    By Vincent Joralemon Pharmaceutical advertisers want health data so that they can effectively tailor the $18 billion spent annually on drug pitches to those audiences most likely to buy these products. However, a recent privacy law out of Washington State may force substantial changes in the field­­—potentially exposing a huge number of companies to liability…

  • Read more: Regulating the Medication Gatekeepers: The Need for Federal PBM Reform

    Regulating the Medication Gatekeepers: The Need for Federal PBM Reform

    By Rupa Palanki On September 20, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a landmark lawsuit against the three largest prescription drug benefit managers (PBMs) — Caremark Rx, Express Scripts, and OptumRx — and their affiliated group purchasing organizations. The FTC alleges that these entities engaged in “anticompetitive and unfair rebating practices,” artificially increasing insulin drug…

  • Read more: Fall 2024 Health Law Workshops

    Fall 2024 Health Law Workshops

    The Health Law Policy, Bioethics, and Biotechnology Workshop provides a forum for discussion of new scholarship in these fields from the world’s leading experts. The workshop is led by Professor I. Glenn Cohen, and presenters come from a wide range of disciplines and departments. Harvard graduate students may register to take the workshop for course…

  • Read more: Unseen Scars: The Devastating Impact of Corruption on Mental Health Systems in Low and Middle-Income Countries

    Unseen Scars: The Devastating Impact of Corruption on Mental Health Systems in Low and Middle-Income Countries

    By Daniela Cepeda Cuadrado There is a wealth of research demonstrating that corruption — the abuse of entrusted power for private gain — has contributed to weakening health systems and worsening public health globally. Corruption is associated with a higher infant mortality rate, the rise of antimicrobial resistance, and the diversion of key resources to…

  • Read more: Cell Therapies and their Legal Discontents

    Cell Therapies and their Legal Discontents

    By Adithi Iyer In February, the news broke that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved a “first of its kind” new cancer therapy. Iovance’s AMTAGVITM, the subject of the approval, is a personalized immunotherapy for advanced melanoma. To be treated, adult patients who are ineligible for surgery or have metastatic disease provide their…

  • Read more: Insurance Coverage for Psychedelic Therapy

    Insurance Coverage for Psychedelic Therapy

    By Vincent Joralemon As therapies using drugs like MDMA, psilocybin, and LSD advance through the FDA research and approval pipeline, patients should be prepared for steep price tags attached to these procedures. For example, experts estimate MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD will cost upwards of $12,000 per patient. These high costs highlight the need for comprehensive…