The Los Angeles Times (11/17, Levey, Hamburger) reports that "Congressional Democrats' intensifying efforts to pay for their healthcare overhaul and provide more relief for consumers are threatening to unravel a White House deal with the pharmaceutical industry and turn one of Washington's most powerful lobbies against the legislation." Under a "White House deal struck in the summer, companies pledged to support an overhaul and provide limited discounts to Medicare patients in exchange for a promise that no other controls would be imposed on pharmaceutical prices." But now a "bipartisan group of senators" is considering opening "the door to lower-priced prescription drugs from other countries." Meanwhile, "other lawmakers want to speed the development of cheaper generic versions of biologic drugs."

        AARP report shows higher prices for brand-name drugs. CQ HealthBeat (11/17, subscription required) reports, "A study released Monday by the senior advocacy group AARP found that brand-name drug prices have climbed by 9.3 percent since October 2008, despite the economic downturn." According to the AARP Rx Watchdog Report (pdf), "average manufacturer price increases for brand name and specialty prescription drugs often used by Medicare beneficiaries shot ahead of price increases for other consumer goods in the past year." Meanwhile, "average prices for generic drugs decreased."

        AFP (11/17) also notes that price increase "was considerably greater than the average increase over the past seven years -- 5.8 to 8.3 percent a year -- even though the US economy has been in a dive during much of the past year." The data also showed that "drug prices as a whole, including low cost generics, rose 5.4 percent in the past 12 months."

        Rising drug prices seen as betrayal of cost savings promises. In an editorial, the San Jose Mercury News (11/17) calls the pharmaceutical industry "cunning," as "only weeks ago, President Barack Obama was hailing a White House deal with drug makers to 'save' the nation $8 billion a year in prescription drug costs. Now it turns out that Big Pharma has been quietly hiking wholesale prices of prescription drugs." The President "should renew his push to give the federal government the ability to negotiate bulk purchases of prescription drugs," according to the News. "Drug makers deserve a fair profit for their lifesaving products. But they shouldn't get away with hoodwinking the president and the American public."