Regulatory Roundup: Ethics Group Calls on FTC to Investigate Drug Pricing

The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability, sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on July 6, 2010, asking for the commission to investigate drug companies “that offer significant discounts to doctors for providing patients with only that company’s vaccines.” The organization claims that Sanofi Pasteur and Merck “offer significant price discounts” if healthcare groups agree to buy their vaccines solely from one manufacturer. The organization states that this practice prevents doctors from using alternative vaccines, even when they may better meet patient needs.