Denise Myshko is your editorial contact for the Formulary Watch. She joined Formulary Watch as editor is June 2021 from Oncology Live. Prior to that, she was managing editor of PharmaVOICE, a trade publication in the pharmaceutical industry. Email: dmyshko@mjhlifesciences.com
ICER Adds New Measures of Value to its Assessment Framework
September 25th 2023ICER adds a more formal process to evaluate the diversity of clinical trials and an assessment of a product’s impact on patient and caregiver productivity. ICER also plans to evaluate how newer methods — which would consider the change of a drug’s price over time and disease severity — can be applied to its value assessment.
Study: How PBMs Impact Drug Prices
September 21st 2023An analysis from 3 Axis has found that PBMs control how much pharmacies are reimbursed. This can vary significantly depending on the PBM contracts with insurers, creating a system with large inconsistencies in the prices that consumers pay for both generics and branded products.
FDA Advisory Committee Backs Use of Onpattro in Heart Failure Indication
September 16th 2023Even though committee members voted in support of Onpattro for patients with cardiomyopathy related to transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis, there were questions about whether it provided a clinically meaningful benefit. The FDA set an action date of Oct. 8, 2023.
Dr. Benjamin Rome Discusses Ways to Address High Drug Prices
September 13th 2023Addressing drug affordability and accessibility will involve tackling the interrelated problems of high prices and problematic pharmacy benefit manager practices, says Benjamin N. Rome, M.D., with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
Scripius Removes Dupixent from Formulary
September 7th 2023The decision by Scripius (previously Select Health Prescriptions) was made based on the cost of Dupixent, as well as because of an increased demand to use Dupixent for mild atopic dermatitis when the primary patient population is those with moderate to severe disease.
Blue Shield of California to Work with Prime Therapeutics to Negotiate Drug Prices
August 18th 2023Blue Shield’s new program will unbundle pharmacy services for increased transparency with the goal of saving $500 million annually. The health plan is also teaming up Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company and Amazon Pharmacy.
Tufts Evaluation Finds Health Plans Vary in Step Therapy for Camyzos
August 10th 2023Payers’ requirements for the use of Camyzos in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are generally consistent with the registration study, but they also imposed restrictions beyond the FDA indication or ICER recommendation.
Medicaid Coverage Increases for Pheburane for Urea Cycle Disorders
August 9th 2023Current treatments urea cycle disorders, which causes ammonia to build up in the blood, have a bitter taste and smell. Pheburane was developed with a special coating that masks the taste of sodium phenylbutyrate. It has a list price of $4,375 per bottle.
Diabetes and Weight Loss Drugs Drive Trend in Employer Market Report
July 31st 2023For Magellan’s clients, Ozempic had the highest trend of any product in 2022, and Wegovy was the fifth highest drug in terms of trend. Diabetes as a whole is expected to become the top condition leading pharmacy trend by 2024.