HHS announces new drug pricing policy — and pharma pushes back

There is a flurry of drug pricing news out of D.C. Here’s what you need to know:

A new proposal from HHS: Health secretary Alex Azar just rolled out a new draft rule that would require drug makers to put list prices — which often aren't what patients actually pay — in direct-to-consumer ads.
Meanwhile, at PhRMA: The drug industry trade group announced that dozens of companies pledged that their TV ads will point viewers to more information about how much a drug could cost. But it won’t require members to put list prices in ads. HHS called that a “small step in the right direction” but noting that the agency’s “vision for a new, more transparent drug-pricing system does not rely on voluntary action.”
A legal battle brews: When the idea of requiring list prices in ads was first tossed around, drug makers threatened to sue the Trump administration. Yesterday, drug makers doubled down on the argument that the rule would violate their First Amendment rights.