Trump administration OK on drug imports

A year after calling proposals allowing Americans to import cheaper drugs from Canada a “gimmick,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the federal government is “open for business” on such a strategy.

Azar announced a preliminary plan Wednesday to allow Americans to import certain lower-cost drugs from Canada. Insulin and other biological drugs, controlled substances and intravenous drugs would not be included.

The plan relies on states to come up with proposals for safe importation and submit them for federal approval.

Under a second option, manufacturers could import versions of Fda-approved drugs from foreign countries and sell them at a lower cost than the same U.S. versions. This appears to be a way drugmakers could avoid some of the contracts they have with drug middlemen, known as pharmacy benefit managers.

“The administration has reason to believe that manufacturers might use this pathway as an opportunity to offer Americans lower cost versions of their own drugs,” according to the plan announced Wednesday. “In recent years, multiple manufacturers have stated (either publicly or in statements to the administration) that they wanted to offer lower cost versions but could not readily do so because they were locked into contracts with other parties in the supply chain.”

The announcement marked the latest shift by the Trump administration on the decades-old debate about formally allowing Americans to buy drugs from Canada, where prices are significantly lower.

Drugmakers were quick to criticize the plan. Stephen J. Ubl, president and CEO of the brand-name drug trade group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, called the plan “far too dangerous for American patients.”

“There is no way to guarantee the safety of drugs that come into the country from outside the United States’ goldstandard supply chain,” he said in a statement. “Drugs coming through Canada could have originated from anywhere in the world and may not have undergone stringent review by the FDA.” Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his office, closing off his access to the international financial system. The move was largely symbolic since the ayatollah is not believed to hold any foreign bank accounts.

At the time, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin indicated that Trump had also directed him to sanction Mohammad Javad Zarif, the U.s.educated foreign minister. But that action, which would seem to close the door to diplomatic talks with Iran, wasn’t immediately carried out.

Announcing the new action against Zarif, a senior administration official told reporters that the diplomat “functions as an extension of the supreme leader’s office” and is “the international face” of Iran who “spreads the regime’s disinformation and propaganda around the world.”

“He has had this veneer, a masquerade if you will, of being the sincere and reasonable interlocutor for the regime,” the official said of Zarif. “He is no such thing.” private, unlike you. I expect you would go ahead and say whatever was said privately with him. That’s not what I do.”

Sen. Cory Booker New Jersey pounced.

“Mr. Vice President, you can’t have it both ways. You invoke President Obama more than anybody in this campaign. You can’t do it when it’s convenient and then dodge it when it’s not.”

Booker went on to criticize Biden for saying that immigrants with a PH.D. degree should automatically get green cards letting them stay in the United States for seven years.

“Well that’s playing into what the Republicans want – to pit some immigrants against other immigrants,” Booker said, borrowing President Donald Trump’s vulgar description of African nations. “Some are from shithole countries and some are from worthy countries.” of into how hundreds of billions of dollars are spent each year by the Defense Department.

Norquist now moves into the No. 2 civilian position at the Pentagon, a job he has been performing in an acting capacity since January. Norquist’s confirmation is surely a relief for Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who said last week during his first day on the job that filling Pentagon vacancies is one of his top priorities.

For at least the next month, though, Esper and Norquist will lead the largest government agency with several key civilian positions still unfilled, including Army and Air Force secretaries.

The Senate last week confirmed Army Gen. Mark Milley to be Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, but the nominated vice chairman, Air Force Gen. John Hyten, will not be confirmed before the August recess. Hyten’s nomination has been clouded by sexual assault allegations, although he appears likely to be confirmed in the fall. arguments in the case for Oct. 28, at which time the trial date could be revisited, he said.

It was Epstein’s first public appearance since he was found semi-conscious in his jail cell last week with bruise marks on his neck, and his attorneys did not address their client’s injuries or mention the episode in open court.

The 66-year-old multimillionaire sat subdued with his lawyers, clad in dark blue jail scrubs and wearing glasses.

Afterward, Weinberg, declined to reveal any details about the July 22 incident at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, where his client is reportedly on suicide watch. It is not clear whether he tried to commit suicide or whether he was attacked by another inmate. He is being held until his trial without bail because he was deemed a flight risk.

Wednesday’s hearing in New York City lasted just 15 minutes, but provided a small window into Epstein’s defense strategy.

“This case is not your ordinary (sex trafficking) case,” Weinberg said, after noting that the defense team intends to litigate the federal non-prosecution agreement that Epstein, a part-time Palm Beach resident, received as part of a plea deal he was granted in Florida in 2008.

Epstein’s lawyers intend to argue that the plea bargain, signed and sealed in the Southern District of Florida, represented a global agreement that would prevent New York from prosecuting Epstein for similar crimes. Weinberg, in the past, has called New York’s case a “do-over” that won’t hold up because of possible issues involving double jeopardy.

In February, a federal judge in Florida ruled that the 2008 plea deal violated federal law, and the judge is now considering a request by Epstein’s victims to vacate the agreement altogether. Should that happen, it could weaken Epstein’s position, said Jack Scarola, one of the lawyers representing the victims.