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 but offer little to no added clinical value.” According to OptumRx, some of the “worst offenders” include Solubiomix’s Azesco, Foxland Pharmaceuticals’ Trinaz, 7T Pharma’s Genicin Vita-S and TMIG Inc.’s Lorid, which have an average cost of $5,600 for a 90-day supply vs. $44 for a generic alternative covered by the PBM. Read more at https://bit.ly/31TWn6p.
✦ The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) on June 30 filed litigation challenging a Minnesota law that would allow diabetic patients to access an “urgent” 30-day supply of insulin for a copay of no more than $35. The law — HF 3100, also known as the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act — would also allow qualifying individuals to access a $50-or-less 90-day supply of insulin for up to a year. PhRMA argued that the law violates the fifth and 14th amendments of the U.S. Constitution, which “prohibits Minnesota from taking manufacturers’ private property for public use without just compensation.” Read PhRMA’s statement at https://onphr.ma/3gIQzAD.