Hospitals mark up cancer drug prices for private insurance patients, study shows

Researchers also found U.S. spending on cancer medicines rose from about $39 billion in 2015 to nearly $68 billion in 2019 largely due to manufacturer and hospital market power.

By Hailey Mensik • April 19, 2022

UK bid to battle antibiotic resistance yields first subscription-style plan

Pfizer and Shionogi could receive 10 million pounds, or about $13 million, a year for new antibiotics. International participation might be needed to further spur development, however.

By Jonathan Gardner • April 12, 2022

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Drug pricing

Major drug pricing legislation passed Congress in 2022, putting pharmaceutical companies on the defensive and creating a new precedent for the industry.

By BioPharma Dive staff

Medicare finalizes policy limiting coverage of Biogen Alzheimer's drug

Biogen said it is considering its options following CMS' decision, which restricts reimbursement of Aduhelm to patients enrolled in a randomized clinical trial. 

By Jonathan Gardner • Updated April 7, 2022

Civica targets insulin in effort to produce cheaper drugs

The nonprofit group announced ambitious plans to begin offering insulin at prices no higher than $30 per vial by early 2024.

By Kristin Jensen • March 3, 2022

Biden discusses drug prices, mental health services in annual address

The president also announced a "test-to-treat" program that would allow people to receive free antiviral pills, such as Pfizer's Paxlovid or Merck's molnupiravir, after a COVID-19 test at a pharmacy.

By Shannon Muchmore • March 2, 2022

FTC deadlocks on vote to launch study into PBM practices

The antitrust agency won't study pharmacy benefit managers' pricing and contract practices as proposed, after a 2-2 vote by commissioners Thursday.

By Samantha Liss • Feb. 17, 2022

Lilly's new COVID-19 antibody becomes US' latest tool to battle omicron

The speedy clearance of Lilly’s bebtelovimab comes after the U.S. stopped distributing two of the company's earlier antibodies because they couldn't effectively neutralize the variant.

By Jonathan Gardner • Updated Feb. 11, 2022

FDA sends signal with tough questions of Lilly at cancer drug meeting

The agency criticized Eli Lilly for using a trial run in China to seek approval of an immunotherapy it licensed from Innovent Biologics. Outside advisers agreed in a decisive vote that could have repercussions for several other drugmakers.

By Jonathan Gardner • Feb. 10, 2022

Lilly slows FDA submission of Alzheimer's drug after Medicare decision

Executives for the pharma downplayed the impact of an accelerated approval for donanemab, pointing to Medicare's plans to restrict coverage of Alzheimer's drugs like it to only patients in clinical trials.

By Jonathan Gardner • Feb. 3, 2022

EQRx builds case for cancer drug it hopes can disrupt market

Study results show EQRx's drug, which it means to position as a lower-cost alternative to widely used cancer immunotherapies, extended the lives of lung cancer patients. But it's unclear whether that will be enough to sway the FDA.

By Kristin Jensen • Jan. 19, 2022

Medicare faces blowback over plan to limit coverage of Biogen's Alzheimer's drug

Biogen, along with allies in industry, plans to pressure Medicare to water down its policy, which limits coverage of Aduhelm and drugs like it to clinical trials.

By Jonathan Gardner , Jacob Bell • Jan. 14, 2022

After years of decline, drugmakers' price hikes may have bottomed out

Inflation in 2021 may have offered drugmakers a catalyst for taking slightly bigger increases on a list price basis. But rebates to insurers are still keeping net price rises lower.

By Jonathan Gardner • Jan. 5, 2022

After intense pushback, Biogen to cut price of Alzheimer's drug

Effective Jan. 1, the average list price for Aduhelm will drop about 50% to just over $28,000 a year. It's a move the company hopes will appease insurers and lower out-of-pocket costs for patients.

By Jacob Bell • Dec. 20, 2021

Martin Shkreli's former company to pay $40M in settlement over drug price hikes

The payment resolves the government's claims against Vyera and Phoenixus for their efforts to block competition to Daraprim, the toxoplasmosis drug Shkreli famously raised the price of by 4,000%.

By Kristin Jensen • Dec. 8, 2021

As Congress weighs drug price restraints, ICER calls out 'unsupported' increases

In a new report, ICER highlighted AbbVie's price hikes on Humira, which the group said resulted in more than $1 billion in U.S. spending last year without any new evidence of health benefits.

By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 16, 2021

Pfizer will allow generic drugmakers to produce promising COVID-19 pill

A licensing deal with a U.N.-backed patent group could expand supply of Pfizer's experimental drug Paxlovid in lower- and middle-income countries.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Nov. 16, 2021

Anticipating Aduhelm's costs, Medicare plans big jump in premiums

While CMS is still weighing whether to authorize wide coverage of Biogen's pricey Alzheimer's drug, administrators are planning to build reserves in case costs skyrocket.

By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 15, 2021

Democrats’ drug pricing plan, while scaled back, could still squeeze pharma top-sellers

Legislation backed by President Joe Biden and top Democratic lawmakers would allow for price negotiation on 20 older drugs, potentially impacting blockbusters from Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb and others.

By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 4, 2021

A three-decade monopoly: how Amgen built a patent thicket around its top-selling drug

Through high-stakes litigation, aggressive patenting practices and a bit of luck, Amgen will likely stretch Enbrel's monopoly until 2029, more than 30 years after it was approved.

By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 1, 2021

Drug price restraints dropped as Biden prioritizes other measures

Despite majority control of Congress, it appears unlikely the Biden administration will be able to pass meaningful pricing reform, though a slimmed-down bill may still be in the works.

By Jonathan Gardner • Oct. 29, 2021

J&J foresees end to not-for-profit sales of coronavirus vaccine

The drugmaker plans to switch over to a commercial business model late next year or early in 2023, said Jennifer Taubert, head of J&J's pharma division.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Oct. 19, 2021

Boehringer wins 'interchangeable' status for Humira copy, strengthening competitive threat

The interchangeable approval could help to boost adoption of Boehringer's biosimilar when it launches in mid-2023, a date set via settlement with AbbVie.

By Ned Pagliarulo • Oct. 18, 2021

Insurers sue Merck for 'monopolistic scheme' to delay generics of blockbuster cholesterol drug

The suits allege an agreement between Merck and a generic manufacturer kept low-cost versions of the drugmaker's widely used Zetia off the market for years.

By Samantha Liss • Sept. 24, 2021

Lilly, Novartis, other pharmas could face fines for violating 340B law

The U.S. health department asked its inspector general to review the refusals of six drugmakers to offer discounts to safety net hospitals through community pharmacy partnerships.

By Rebecca Pifer • Sept. 24, 2021

Biden pushes forward on Medicare price negotiation

But opposition from the drug industry and congressional Republicans could make the Democrats' signature proposal an uphill battle. 

By Jonathan Gardner • Sept. 10, 2021