Forget Sanofi's Zika shot. A new measure would limit pricing on all DOD-funded medication

Fierce Pharma ------ The controversy over Sanofi's eventual pricing for an in-development Zika vaccine might just spawn pricing constraints for all treatments developed with the help of Defense Department funding. Under an amendment to the military spending authorization now working through Congress, the Department of Defense would have the power to invite in new competition to certain drugs and vaccines it helped research. Proposed by Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, the measure would apply to products whose prices are markedly higher in the U.S. than in other high-income countries. The amendment passed the Senate Armed Services Committee unanimously on June 28. If the proposal makes its way into law, it could affect Pfizer and Astellas’ prostate cancer med Xtandi and other projects that have received government R&D support, such as Sanofi’s in-development Zika vaccine. King is one of the senators who has called for pricing guarantees on a Zika vaccine Sanofi is developing with the U.S. Army. To learn more click on the picture below to read the article.