Did Novartis convince Washington to placidly accept the price of its multi-million dollar gene therapy?

So says Sloan Kettering’s Peter Bach, who argues in a new opinion piecefor STAT that because Novartis had thrown out prices as high as $5 million for Zolgensma, its ultimate asking price, $2.1 million, stung less. Bach may have a point — Washington has been shockingly mum over the Zolgensma news … which, you know, isn’t normal in a town that relishes the opportunity to chide drug makers.

Speaking of Zolgensma pricing, I have to tip my hat to my former colleague John Wilkerson who has some fascinating details on how Novartis is contracting with a specialty pharmacy to administer payment plans for the drug. The move shields Novartis from being liable for Medicaid’s best price requirements — and it’s already courting controversy.

“If Novartis set a reasonable price for Zolgensma in the first place, the company would not be tied in knots trying to justify why refunds shouldn’t mean lower prices for all patients covered by Medicaid,” Jon Conradi, a spokesperson for the Campaign For Sustainable Rx Pricing, told me.

Novartis didn't immediately comment.