The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday asked a federal judge in Ohio to block Medicare's new powers to negotiate drug prices before Oct. 1. They argued that the drug negotiations violate the First and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the separation of powers. The Chamber asked Judge Thomas Rose on Wednesday to block the negotiations before they get under way because they violate the due process clause. Drugmaker Abbvie , a member of the U.S. Chamber and the Dayton, Ohio area chamber, fears that its blood cancer drug Imbruvica will be selected for the negotiations this fall. The Medicare drug price negotiations do not provide these safeguards and impose price caps that are well below a drug's market value, the chamber's lawyers said.

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Persons: Xavier Becerra, Drugmakers, Judge Thomas Rose, Drugmaker, Engler, Michael Staff Organizations: U.S . Chamber, Washington , D.C, Commerce, Wednesday, Medicare, Human Services, Constitution, HHS, Sixth Circuit, Appeals, Michigan Bell Telephone Co, Companies, Staff, Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pharmaceutical Research, Manufacturers of America, U.S Locations: Washington ,, Ohio, Dayton , Ohio, Michigan, U.S