Effective diabetes management requires a shift from focusing purely on blood sugar levels and weight management medications to embracing the psychological and biological contributors that drive obesity and the disease.
The Federal Trade Commission has sued CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and Optum Rx, alleging that they engage in "anticompetitive and unfair rebating practices” as it relates to insulin. One legal expert believes the FTC might win this legal battle.
The future looks bright for the integrated specialty pharmacy model – for health systems, providers, and most importantly, for patients.
Positive preliminary results for Eli Lilly’s efsitora alfa continue to build the case for this once-weekly insulin in type 2 diabetes patients. Lilly is trying to catch up to Novo Nordisk’s once weekly insulin icodec, which is commercially available in several markets around the world but is not yet approved by the FDA.
The FDA rejected Novo Nordisk’s biologics license application for icodec, citing questions about the manufacturing process for this once weekly insulin as well as its use by type 1 diabetes patients. But there are several high-profile FDA approvals in our recap of recent regulatory news.
Insulin prices have long been a pain point for diabetics. The big three insulin manufacturers have cut prices across their product lineups, but potential competition from other biosimilar insulins is still in earlier stages of development.
Amazon Pharmacy announced Tuesday that it is launching automatic coupons for more than 15 insulin and diabetes care brands. The move, while incremental, solves a major pain point for consumers with diabetes, as many struggle to afford insulin products.
3D medical animation services have emerged as a groundbreaking tool in the healthcare industry, revolutionizing the way medical concepts are taught, understood, and marketed.
Eli Lilly is slashing prices for its insulin products and capping a patient’s monthly out-of-pocket costs at $35. But a financial analyst notes that the company can afford to cut prices on older medicines like insulin because the strategy will help it maintain pricing power for innovative new drugs.
High prices have drawn other critics, as well, including President Joe Biden. He renewed his call for a broad price cap during his annual State of the Union address. Pharma companies insist they have been part of the solution.
California's Office of the Attorney General contends that drugmakers and pharmacy benefit managers work together to “aggressively raise the list price of insulin in lockstep with each other to artificial levels.” Insulin manufacturers deny the allegations, pointing to availability of lower-cost versions of their products.
Civica Rx plans to make lower cost versions of three branded insulin products, biosimilars that are expected to reach the market in 2024. In addition to $30 vials, Civica plans to sell pen cartridges at $55 for a box of five.
As technology advances, AI-powered tools will increasingly reduce the administrative burdens on healthcare providers.
Not all drugs will be subject to price negotiation under the revised legislation. But the agreement sets up a framework enabling Medicare to negotiate the prices of medicines that have been on the market for a long time, and also caps the monthly price of insulin, which has been a flashpoint of drug price debate.
Walmart struck a deal with Novo Nordisk to offer a heavily discounted, private-label version of its fast-acting analog insulin. But it still doesn’t solve the pricing problems patients have faced, with insulin costs skyrocketing in recent years.
More than 1,750 Medicare part D plans and Medicare Advantage plans will limit out-of-pocket insulin costs to a $35 copay next year. The change would make patients' out-of-pocket costs more consistent than the current system, where payments fluctuate in different stages of their Part D plan.
Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Wyden are demanding that Cigna turn over documents on insulin pricing, as part of a larger probe on rising insulin costs. The lawmakers claim that large pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts, which Cigna acquired in 2018, is failing to comply with the investigation.
While many sellers were found to express altruistic motives, the researchers wrote that improperly stored insulin creates risks of lost potency and contamination. The findings highlight the need for substantive policy reform, according to the study's lead author.