More than 50 lawmakers from both parties have urged the Trump administration not to finalise a proposed Medicare policy on fixed-dose combination drugs. They argue it could bring improved versions of existing medicines into price negotiations soon after approval, weakening incentives to develop better treatments, including for cancer.

The policy is part of implementing the Drug Price Negotiation Program, established by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. CMS says it aims to stop manufacturers delaying negotiated prices by making limited changes to existing drugs; the lawmakers say the FDA already assesses improved therapies separately and that CMS actuaries have not shown the proposal would deliver meaningful savings. They cite cancer treatments that replace lengthy infusions with quicker injections as an example of innovations that could be affected.