Tuesday’s drug hearings in two quotes

Pharmaceutical execs testified before the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday. Much was hyped before it began. (Trust me — the guy who reads pharma news all day.)

Senators grilled, execs answered politely. Fireworks there weren’t. Here’s what happened in two quotes.

“If you don’t take meaningful action to reduce prescription drug prices, policymakers are going to do it for you.” —Senator Robert Menendez

And after the hearing:

“This is a $460 billion industry. You think three hours of an orchestrated show before Congress will lead to different behavior? I don’t think so.” —Ronny Gal, securities analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Company.

That wasn’t the plan

Triclosan, which is added to a lot of consumer products (e.g., soap, toothpaste), turns out to actually make the germs stronger — it “may inadvertently drive bacteria into a state in which they are able to tolerate normally lethal concentrations of antibiotics.” Ruh-roh.

Radioactive after death

Patients who take radioactive chemotherapy can be a danger after they die … to crematorium workers.

Vitamin D: Getting a grip

In older men, not getting enough vitamin D can reduce the strength of their handgrips, leading to those horrid wimpy handshakes we’ve all experienced.

Divorce court, drugmaker style

In case you didn’t know, Anthem and Cigna are still fighting over who owes what after their failed merger.

Cigna, which would have been acquired by Anthem, says it’s the injured party and is demanding about $15 billion. Anthem, which runs Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in more than a dozen states, insists it’s owed $20 billion because Cigna dragged its feet to sabotage the deal.

The quiet crisis

According to a study out of UNC-Chapel Hill that looked at insurance claims of 19 million patients, Americans spend hundreds of millions of dollars every year to treat hemorrhoids. And while “It is important that patients receive high-quality and cost-effective interventions that give them good quality of life,” the study authors raised concerns about “potential overuse” of treatments.

Captain Obvious strikes again

“Depression more common for women working longer hours, study says”

The long read: Why are we so anxious?

“America seems to be in the midst of a full-blown panic attack. Is there anything we can do about it?” from the New Republic.