Authors


Brooke McCormick

Latest:

KFF Webinar Explores Insurance Coverage of Opill

Laurie Sobel, associate director for women’s health policy at KFF, moderated a panel discussion about the challenges associated with providing insurance coverage for the first FDA-approved oral contraceptive, Opill.


Tony Hagen

Latest:

Hemophilia Groups Protest BCBS of Tennessee Formulary Exclusions

The patient groups say the insurer is cutting off access to important medications. The Tennessee Blues plans say many of the drugs that it excluded from coverage have zero utilization.


Susan Ladika

Latest:

Drugs and Older Age: An Increasingly Deadly Combination

Two reports show that drug-related deaths are skyrocketing among people 65 years and older.


Peter Wehrwein

Latest:

Legal Challenges Likely for Drugs Listed for Medicare Price Negotiation

Experts expect more lawsuits challenging CMS’s authority to negotiate drug prices for Medicare Part D.


Formulary Watch

Latest:

FDA Assigns Review Date for Gene Therapy for Rare Immune Disorder

FDA has set an action date of March 31, 2024, for marnetegragene autotemcel to treat infants with a serious and often fatal immunodeficiency.


Richard Payerchin

Latest:

California Sues Drug Makers, PBMs Over Rising Prices for Insulin

Lawsuit accuses the companies of using unlawful, unfair, and deceptive practices.


Timothy P. Gauthier, PharmD, BCPS

Latest:

Antimicrobial stewardship programs-A review for the formulary decision-maker

Antimicrobial stewardship programs are being implemented in a variety of settings to assist with the challenges associated with the management of infectious diseases. Here's a review of ASPs from the perspective of a formulary decision-maker.


Rosanna Sutherby, Pharm.D.

Latest:

GlaxoSmithKline Halts RSV Vaccine Trials in Pregnant Women

The setback for GlaxoSmithKline comes amid a multicompany race to develop a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus infections.


Keith Loria

Latest:

Up, Up and Not Going Away: Cancer Drug Prices

Escalating costs are hitting patients hard. CMS price negotiation and the $2,000 cap on Part D out-of-pocket expenses should benefit many patients with Medicare coverage.


Laura Joszt, MA

Latest:

Hyrimoz, a High-Concentration Humira Biosimilar, Approved by FDA

Sandoz will now launch both high-concentration and low-concentration versions of Hyrimoz (adalimumab-adaz) in July.


Jennifer Gershman, Pharm.D., CPh

Latest:

Second mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Primary Series Can Be Extended to 8 Weeks for Some Individuals

This guidance discusses that individuals 12 years and older can receive the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine 3-8 weeks after the first. Additionally, the interval for those 18 years and older for Moderna is 4-8 weeks.


Patricia Weiser, Pharm.D.

Latest:

Analysis: Farxiga is a High-Value Medication for Patients with Heart Failure

The recent study also found that Jardiance for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction could be cost-effective if discounted by 29%.


Denise Myshko

Latest:

Health Plans Release 2024 Prescription Changes in Medicare Plans

Aetna, Cigna, Humana, United Healthcare — some of the largest providers of Medicare Advantage plans — have released updates to prescription drug programs.


Jared Kaltwasser

Latest:

Study: One-Third of ACOs Use Digital Health Tools for Opioid Use Disorder

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) use digital health to complement traditional resources.



Don Creighton

Latest:

Inflation Reduction Act and the Impact on Pharmaceutical Pricing and Investment Decisions

The reference to “maximum fair price” in the act bodes poorly for manufacturers and suggests more of a take-it-or-leave-it situation rather than a negotiation where clinical evidence would be the prevailing factor in determining price.


Celeste Krewson

Latest:

Long-term Study Shows Gardasil 9 Effective Against HPV-Related Cancers

In a 10-year, follow-up study in patients vaccinated with Gardasil 9, no cases of HPV-related cancers or genital warts were seen.


Nathan R. Unger, PharmD

Latest:

Antimicrobial stewardship programs-A review for the formulary decision-maker

Antimicrobial stewardship programs are being implemented in a variety of settings to assist with the challenges associated with the management of infectious diseases. Here's a review of ASPs from the perspective of a formulary decision-maker.


Jaime Rosenberg

Latest:

Study: Medicaid Coverage Uneven for Gene Therapies

Recent study finds that Medicaid coverage for some of the first gene and cell therapies was at times delayed and not consistent with federal requirements.


Skylar Jeremias

Latest:

ASCO Abstract Highlights Growing Comfortability with Trastuzumab Biosimilars

This abstract at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO 2023) looked at the growing utilization of trastuzumab biosimilars over time in India.


Jeffrey Bendix

Latest:

Report: Medical Costs to Rise 7% Next Year

The increase is expected to be somewhat offset by the impact of biosimilars coming to market and more care being provided in outpatient settings.


Lauren Biscaldi

Latest:

Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against CVS Caremark to Recoup DIR Fees

The class action lawsuit against CVS Health, Caremark, and Aetna was announced earlier today.


Justina Petrullo

Latest:

Study: Coverage Restrictions One Reason for Lower Biosimilar Adoption

Biosimilars have the potential to lower costs, but the adoption has been slower than expected, a recent study finds.



Briana Contreras

Latest:

Prime Therapeutics Names Mostafa Kamal President and CEO

The Magellan Rx Management CEO is replacing Ken Paulus, who has held the top job at Prime since May 2019.


Christine Blank

Latest:

Pfizer Tornado Plant Damage Not Affecting Penicillin Supply

The supply of fentanyl, epinephrine injection, and heparin, however, have been impacted by the July 19 tornado at Pfizer's North Carolina facility.


Tracey Walker

Latest:

Overactive bladder drug not linked to CV events

Patients with overactive bladder taking this OAB drug did not experience an excess risk of CV events compared with other treatments.


Christine Blank, Contributing Editor

Latest:

FDA reviewing safety of Parkinson’s drug

FDA is re-examining the safety of a breakthrough Parkinson’s disease drug after reports of hundreds of deaths.


Erin Johanek, PharmD

Latest:

Wide geographic differences exist in treating diabetes

A large-scale observational study led by Columbia University researchers may offer new approach to studying diverse patient groups.


Erin Johanek, PharmD, RPh

Latest:

Popular insulin meets target in real-world study

Novo Nordisk’s DEVOTE study reveals interesting findings.

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.