Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences
California now writes its own drug-pricing rules, from SB 41's fiduciary duty on pharmacy benefit managers to the CalRx insulin label. Capitol Axis represents the companies those rules land on.
- Signed into law
- 1
- On the Governor's desk
- 7
- Still moving
- 4
From the public record, updated September 18, 2026. See every pharma bill.
Services.
Legislative advocacy
- Testimony and amendments before the Assembly and Senate Health Committees on pricing, PBM, and pharmacy bills
- Drafting and negotiating amendments to drug-pricing measures before they reach the floor
- Early warning on trailer bill language where CalRx funding and pricing riders move
Regulatory and agency work
- Board of Pharmacy rulemaking dockets: fee schedules, remote and central-fill processing, non-resident licensure
- HCAI cost transparency reporting cycles and manufacturer penalty appeals
- DMHC PBM licensing and DHCS Medi-Cal Rx formulary and reimbursement policy
Program and procurement
- CalRx participation, procurement, and the appropriations that fund it
- Positioning ahead of any CalRx expansion to additional drug classes
Coalition and counsel
- Trade association coordination on PBM and pricing packages
- Written exposure assessments on how a proposed rule lands on contracting, rebates, and margins
Why now.
SB 41 is in effect.
The spread-pricing ban and pass-through mandate took effect January 1, 2026. Every PBM contract is being rewritten at renewal, and implementation questions are being answered at DMHC now.
Two Board of Pharmacy dockets are open.
The fee-schedule and central-fill rulemakings are in their comment and hearing windows in 2026.
CalRx's next chapter is a budget fight.
Manufacturing funding was cut in 2025–26 and the Governor has floated expanding the label. Scope and funding will be decided in the next budget cycle.
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