Amgen, Biogen, Pfizer and Teva generated more than twice their global R&D budgets with higher pricing in the US compared to Western Europe and Canada, researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering found.

Stakeholders differ on whether the rapid growth in spending is to be expected, given the realities in health care and specialty drug costs, or that the data underscores the need for oversight and reform of the 340B program.

The other seven drugs on the initial list for negotiation are already heavily rebated and CMS could choose not to go much lower than current net prices, SSR Health report points out.