51ÊÓƵ

In an effort to attack high drug prices, Georgia lawmakers are focusing on powerful middlemen who negotiate on behalf of insurance companies.State Sen. Dean Burke, R-Bainbridge, has introduced a bill that aims to shed light on prices that pharmacy benefits managers negotiate with pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies, and to ensure that patients are able to get the drugs when they need them. The legislation is Senate Bill 313. (Hart, 2/16)

The ongoing debate over insulin access and affordability took another turn Thursday when the state Senate Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee approved a plan to provide access to insulin to Minnesotans who can’t afford it. The newly revised Senate insulin bill evolved much later than another version backed by House Democrats, which has drawn sharp opposition from the pharmaceutical industry. Unlike the House bill, the Senate version does not impose a new fee on insulin manufacturers. (Pugmire, 2/13)

Bayer AG announced today that its researchers have discovered a molecule that it could use to develop new herbicide products. The biotech company is conducting field tests of the compound, which it hasn’t yet named. It’s been 30 years since scientists have developed an herbicide molecule, largely due a lengthy regulatory process and the widespread use of Monsanto’s Roundup, which contains the molecule glyphosate. (Chen, 2/13)