News Briefs
✦ A new report from UnitedHealth Group-owned OptumRx puts a spotlight on prescription prenatal vitamins — which the PBM counts among an “influx of clinically superfluous brand drugs that carry hefty price tags...
Is the Price Right for COVID-19 Treatment Remdesivir?
Since the first studies emerged suggesting Gilead Sciences, Inc.’s remdesivir was a promising treatment for COVID-19, speculation has abounded regarding what price the manufacturer would set for the antiviral drug...
CMS Proposes Best Price Waivers for Costly New Therapies
In an effort to boost adoption and lower costs for curative therapies, CMS proposed a new rule that the agency says would allow state Medicaid plans to enter into value-based, outcome-dependent purchasing agreements...
Proteus Files for Bankruptcy Protection Amid Digital Pill Dispute
Proteus Digital Health, a startup that develops ingestible sensors that communicate when medicines are taken, on June 16 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The move, which company executives said will pave ...
Prime Therapeutics Reports Modest Drug Trend Increases
Prime Therapeutics LLC’s 2019 drug trend report showed single-digit increases for its commercial and Medicare Part D lines of business. Medicaid trend increased 10.2%, with utilization of specialty drugs remaining...
FDA OK’s IL-17As for nr-axSpA, But Few See Changes Ahead With Chart: Current Market Access to Ankylosing Spondylitis Medications
The FDA’s approvals of two interleukin-17A (IL-17A) antagonists to treat active non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) give providers new options for patients who are intolerant of non-steroidal anti-...
News Briefs
✦ Kaiser Permanente is joining Civica Rx – the not-for-profit generic drug company run by health systems and hospitals — as a governing member with a seat on the board of directors. Civica, which was founded i...
Blues Plans Sue CVS, Alleging It Overcharged for Generic Drugs
In a move that one attorney says may have a domino effect, Blue Cross Blue Shield plans recently filed suit against CVS Health Corp., claiming that the firm fraudulently overcharged them for generic drugs by “subm...
MedImpact Hopes to Accelerate Adoption of Pharmacogenomics
With precision medicine an increasingly hot topic in health care, MedImpact is betting that a newly launched program — which reviews every drug prescribed to patients against their genetic profile — will simulta...
Antibody Drug Conjugates Are Worth Watching, OptumRx Says
In its newest Drug Pipeline Insights Report, OptumRx highlighted recently approved or soon-to-be-approved drugs that might significantly impact payers and patients. In its latest quarterly report, though, the United...