
Brian Newell is Deputy Vice President of Public Affairs at PhRMA and serves as lead spokesperson for national media. Before joining PhRMA in 2020, he served as managing director of strategic communications for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). Prior to BIO, Brian worked on Capitol Hill for ten years, including roles on the Education and Workforce Committee, the House Republican Conference and the Ways and Means Committee. Brian graduated with a BA in Political Science from the University of Maine, his home state. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two children – especially summer vacations on the lake in Maine.
Recent Posts
In comments to federal agency, PhRMA warns of the growing influence of middlemen over patient access and out-of-pocket costs for prescription medicines

In comments submitted to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), PhRMA urged the agency to examine how pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) leverage their extraordinary power to maximize profits, often in...
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Report finds PBMs are increasingly restricting patient access to medicines

More than 1,150 medicines were excluded from at least one of the three largest PBMs’ standard commercial formularies in 2022, according to a new report from Xcenda. The report is further evidence of...
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If drug prices are growing below the rate of inflation, why are patients still feeling the sting at the pharmacy?

Concerns about inflation continue to be top of mind for many Americans, as prices for basic services and necessities climb at a rapid pace. But there is one bright spot in this otherwise bleak...
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CBO reaffirms our innovation ecosystem leads to improved lives, long-term savings

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released a new report looking at trends in spending, prices and use of prescription drugs. While some politicians are trying to use the report to...
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New study finds more than half of brand medicine spending goes to the supply chain and others

More than half of total spending on brand medicines went to the supply chain, middlemen and other stakeholders in 2020 according to a new analysis from the Berkeley Research Group (BRG). These new...
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What is missing in the current drug pricing plan

A recent congressional forum looked at the role pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) play in determining what patients pay out of pocket for prescription medicines. The forum provided an important...
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What is Kaiser Family Foundation up to?

For years, Kaiser Family Foundation (Kaiser) has reminded lawmakers that Americans are opposed to government “negotiation” in drug pricing should it lead to less access to medicines and destroy...
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Industry leaders discuss the impact of the drug pricing debate

This month, PhRMA hosted a media briefing with leaders within the biopharmaceutical industry to discuss the dangers of current proposals on government price setting, while also sharing alternative...
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New reports shed light on key facts about medicines and affordability

A recently released report by IQVIA – an independent organization specializing in health care research – provides new data showing prices for brand medicines went down last year. The report offers...
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The latest misleading “poll” on drug pricing

When a front group for insurers and drug cost middlemen promote a poll on drug pricing, everyone’s immediate reaction should include a healthy dose of skepticism. The same is true for a poll from the...
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