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U.S. NEWS Friday 10 January 2020
California could be 1st state

to sell own prescription drugs

By ADAM BEAM Development. "There are other factors in
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) The proposal, for example, the actual manufacturing
— California could be- could help lower costs of that the state may not be
come the first state with its a common drug that has able to escape," he said.
own prescription drug label steadily increased in price Lawmakers must approve
under a proposal that Gov. — insulin for diabetes pa- the plan before it can take
Gavin Newsom unveiled tients. Three drug compa- effect. The idea is part of
Thursday in a bid to lower nies control most of the Newsom's forthcoming
prices by increasing com- market for insulin. budget proposal, which he
petition in the generic mar- "Consumers would directly must present to the Legis- In this July 23, 2019, file photo, Gov. Gavin Newsom talks to
ket. benefit if California con- lature by Friday. While the reporters at his Capitol office, in Sacramento, Calif. California
Newsom wants the nation's tracted on its own to man- governor's office did not could become the first state with its own prescription drug label.
most populous state, home ufacture much-needed say how much the proposal Associated Press
to nearly 40 million people, generic medications like would cost, the state could
to contract with generic insulin — a drug that has have as much as a $7 bil- Newsom ordered the state prices. This year, Newsom's
drug companies to make been around for a century lion surplus this year, ac- to take over the Medicaid budget proposal would
prescription medications yet the price has gone up cording to the nonpartisan program's prescription drug expand on that by creat-
on its behalf so it could over tenfold in the last few Legislative Analyst's Office. benefits, which affects 13 ing a single market for drug
then sell them to the public. decades," said Anthony It's another step in New- million people. That order pricing within the state. The
"It's time to take the power Wright, executive director som's effort to overhaul also directed state agen- governor's office says drug-
out of the hands of greedy of Health Access California. California's prescription cies to begin buying drugs makers would have to bid
pharmaceutical compa- Jon Roth, CEO of the Cali- drug market. Last year, in in bulk and using their le- to sell their drugs in Califor-
nies," the Democratic gov- fornia Pharmacists Associa- one of his first acts in office, verage to negotiate lower nia at a uniform price.q
ernor tweeted. tion, said the state might be
Generic drug prices in Cali- surprised, however, at how
fornia jumped 37.6% since much it ends up charging
2017, the largest increase for its own generic drugs
of any drug category, ac- because of factors beyond
cording to a recent report its control, including raw
from the Office of State- material shortages and dis-
wide Health Planning and ruptions in the supply chain.

Hanukkah stabbing

suspect indicted on

federal hate crimes

NEW YORK (AP) — A fed- history of mental illness. He
eral grand jury handed up has requested Thomas un-
hate crime charges Thurs- dergo a psychiatric evalu-
day against the man ac- ation. Authorities have said
cused of stabbing five peo- they found a blood-stained
ple with a machete during 18-inch (45-centimeter)
a Hanukkah celebration machete in Thomas' car,
north of New York City. along with a knife smeared
The indictment charges with dried blood and hair.
Grafton Thomas with five They also said Thomas had
counts each of attempt- handwritten journals con-
ing to kill victims based on taining anti-Semitic refer-
their religion and obstruct- ences and recently used
ing the free exercise of re- his phone to look up infor-
ligious beliefs by attempt- mation on Hitler and the lo-
ing to kill with a dangerous cation of synagogues.
weapon. The Hanukkah stabbings
Thomas, 37, also faces state came amid a wave of anti-
charges in the Dec. 28 at- Semitic attacks targeting
tack inside the home of a Orthodox Jewish commu-
rabbi in Monsey, N.Y. He is nities in and around New
being held without bail on York City.
the federal charges. One of the men wounded
A message was sent to in the machete attack re-
Thomas' defense attorney, mains in serious condition.
Michael Sussman, seeking His family has said he may
comment. Sussman has have permanent brain
said Thomas had a long damage.q