Trending News Today: Civil Complaint Filed Against Manufacturers Alleging Drug Price Inflation

An increase in superbug outbreaks is a significant cause of concern, prompting some physicians and hospitals to test out disposable scopes to help combat the spread of these antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to California Healthline. The FDA recently approved 2 single-use disposable colonoscopes. The disposable scopes will sell for $250 each, compared with about $40,000 or more for a conventional scope, which only lasts several years and requires physicians to disinfect it after each use. Currently, only a handful of medical centers are experimenting with the disposable colonoscopes, Healthline reported.

The enrollment deadline for health plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been extended until the end of Monday night by federal health officials, according to The Washington Post. The decision came as a result of the “extraordinary volume of consumers” seeking out health insurance, said Kevin Counihan, chief executive of the ACA’s Health Insurance Marketplace. As of Wednesday, CMS officials said that approximately 4 million individuals had signed up for ACA health plans. Members of the Obama administration predict that an average of slightly more than 11 million consumers will be covered through ACA health plans in 2017, the Post reported.

Twenty state attorneys general, led by the state of Connecticut, filed a civil complaint accusing Teva Pharmaceuticals, Mylan, and 4 smaller companies of allegedly conspiring to artificially inflate generic, antibiotic, and diabetes drug prices. According to The Washington Post, the defendants allegedly coordinated with their competitors at industry trade shows, customer conferences, and other events, as well as through direct email, phone and text messages. In addition to Connecticut, the other plaintiff states are Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington.