Drug Pricing
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Medicare to cover Novo’s obesity drug for some patients
Two weeks after the FDA updated Wegovy’s label, Medicare changed its stance to allow people with a history of heart disease to receive treatment, a shift that could boost access to the fast-selling medicine.
By Ben Fidler • March 22, 2024 -
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Orchard sets out to sell world’s priciest gene therapy
Orchard is counting on the long-term data it’s accrued to convince insurers to cover Lenmeldy’s $4.25 million list price, the highest of any genetic medicine to come to market.
By Kristin Jensen • March 20, 2024 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Elizabeth Regan / Industry Dive
TrendlineDrug pricing
Drug pricing legislation has put pharmaceutical companies on the defensive and created a new precedent for the industry.
By BioPharma Dive staff -
Courtesy of Kroger
Elevance to buy Kroger’s specialty pharmacy
Major pharmacy benefit managers continue to double down on specialty as a reliable source of business amid a growing crop of pharmacy upstarts.
By Rebecca Pifer • March 19, 2024 -
Courtesy of Madrigal Pharmaceuticals
Madrigal, FDA approval in hand, outlines plan to sell MASH drug
The company expects initial uptake of Rezdiffra, which costs $47,400 per year, to be slow as doctors and insurers establish the protocols needed to find patients eligible for treatment.
By Ben Fidler • March 15, 2024 -
Julia Rendleman via Getty Images
Why Cigna is capping cost increases for pricey obesity drugs
The first-of-its-kind move comes as pharmacy benefit managers continue to try to prove their value to clients, and shows how major players are working to meet demand for the fast-selling medicines.
By Rebecca Pifer • March 8, 2024 -
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
Biden proposes strengthening Medicare’s drug pricing power
The administration seeks to significantly increase the number of drugs each year that would be subjected to price negotiations under provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act.
By Kristin Jensen • March 7, 2024 -
Stock via Getty Images
AstraZeneca’s drug pricing lawsuit dismissed by federal judge
The rejection is the latest setback in the pharmaceutical industry’s efforts to use the courts to challenge Medicare’s new pricing powers.
By Jonathan Gardner • March 4, 2024 -
Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
Pharma CEOs, pressed by Senate panel, refuse to commit to price cuts
Forced into testifying by Senate HELP chair Bernie Sanders, the heads of Bristol Myers Squibb, J&J and Merck largely avoided major missteps.
By Jonathan Gardner • Feb. 8, 2024 -
Dr_Microbe via Getty Images
New CMS pilot to test payment scheme for pricey sickle cell gene therapies
The agency is planning a pilot program across states to help sickle cell patients access treatments like the newly approved Casgevy and Lyfgenia.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Jan. 31, 2024 -
Douglas Rissing via Getty Images
Sanders threatens to subpoena J&J, Merck CEOs over drug prices
The Senate HELP committee, which is seeking testimony from J&J's Joaquin Duato and Merck's Robert Davis, hasn't issued a subpoena since 1981.
By Jonathan Gardner • Jan. 19, 2024 -
Sarah Silbiger via Getty Images
FDA authorizes Florida to import drugs from Canada
The clearance is a major shift for the agency, which described its decision as a “first step” in allowing Florida to bulk purchase lower-cost Canadian medicines.
By Jonathan Gardner , Ned Pagliarulo • Jan. 5, 2024 -
Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
Humira leads ICER’s latest list of ‘unsupported’ price hikes
AbbVie’s blockbuster medicine topped a list of treatments that, combined, elevated U.S. healthcare spending by $1.3 billion in 2022, according to the price watchdog’s latest yearly report.
By Jonathan Gardner • Dec. 11, 2023 -
EzumeImages via Getty Images
Pricey new gene therapies for sickle cell pose access test
Casgevy, the first CRISPR therapy approved by the FDA, will cost $2.2 million, while Bluebird’s competing genetic medicine is priced at $3.1 million.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Dec. 8, 2023 -
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
Biden administration goes after drug patents in bid to lower prices
The White House is supporting a policy that would allow the U.S. government to sidestep patent protections for drugs developed with federal funding and that have prices deemed “extreme, unjustified, and exploitative.”
By Jonathan Gardner • Dec. 7, 2023 -
Amicus Therapeutics
BIO names longtime Amicus head John Crowley as new CEO
Crowley, a rare disease advocate who led Amicus for nearly two decades, will take the reins as the industry group seeks to challenge Medicare’s new drug pricing powers.
By Jonathan Gardner • Dec. 5, 2023 -
Courtesy of BioMarin Pharmaceutical
BioMarin secures hemophilia gene therapy coverage in Germany
Drawn-out negotiations led to a lower price than initially expected, but analysts called the agreement a step forward for the biotech company.
By Kristin Jensen • Nov. 29, 2023 -
RiverNorthPhotography via Getty Images
FTC challenges patents held by nine big drugmakers, citing unfair competition
The agency claims intellectual property for emergency allergy shot EpiPen and asthma medication Advair was “improperly listed” in an FDA database.
By Jonathan Gardner • Nov. 8, 2023 -
nopparit via Getty Images
Biogen, Sage set price of postpartum depression pill at $15,900
The price is below what some analysts had predicted and significantly less than $34,000 Sage initially set for its earlier postpartum infusion, Zulresso.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Nov. 7, 2023 -
Rebecca Pifer/BioPharma Dive
PBMs, PhRMA trade blame over drug costs in House hearing
Pharmacy benefit manager lobby PCMA and drugmaker lobby PhRMA pointed fingers over problems in the prescription supply chain during the House committee's second hearing on the PBM industry.
By Rebecca Pifer • Sept. 19, 2023 -
Permission granted by Astellas
Astellas withdraws lawsuit challenging Medicare drug price program
The drugmaker said it still believes the U.S. government’s price negotiation powers are unconstitutional, but is pulling back a lawsuit it filed in July.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Sept. 7, 2023 -
Win McNamee / Staff via Getty Images
Medicare named the first 10 drugs up for negotiation. Now what?
The list of blockbuster cardiovascular, diabetes and cancer drugs gives the industry a window into how regulators are approaching price negotiations.
By Karissa Waddick • Aug. 30, 2023 -
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
Medicare names first 10 drugs for price negotiations
The Inflation Reduction Act gave the U.S. government new pricing powers, which CMS put into practice this August with its first slate of blockbuster targets.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Updated Aug. 29, 2023 -
Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
AstraZeneca the latest pharma to challenge drug pricing law
The drugmaker's lawsuit follows similar legal challenges from Merck & Co., Bristol Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson, among others.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Aug. 25, 2023 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
CVS launches new venture in biosimilar drug experiment
The subsidiary, called Cordavis, will work directly with manufacturers to market or co-produce low-cost biologic drugs, starting with Novartis’ Humira copy.
By Jonathan Gardner • Aug. 24, 2023 -
Boehringer sues to block US drug price program
The pharma’s suit, which claims Medicare’s new power to negotiate certain drug prices is unconstitutional, comes days before the agency will reveal the first 10 medicines to be included under the plan.
By Ned Pagliarulo • Aug. 22, 2023
