Highlights
- CVS Health publishes “2021 Drug Trend Report”
- Elixir publishes “Perspective on the Rx Pipeline” report
- Clarivate publishes “Drugs to Watch in 2022”
- Gilead takes action against fraudulent distribution of HIV medications
FDA Approvals and Launches
- Rinvoq (upadacitinib), an anti-inflammatory drug, receives additional approval to treat atopic dermatitis.
- Skyrizi (risankizumab), previously approved to treat plaque psoriasis, receives additional approval to treat psoriatic arthritis.
- Cibinqo (abrocitinib) is approved to treat atopic dermatitis.
- Quviviq (daridorexant) is approved to treat insomnia.
News
CVS Health publishes “2021 Drug Trend Report”
- The PBM reported a 2.4% overall drug trend.
- Specialty drugs drove 54% of overall drug spending; the PBM reported a 5.8% specialty drug trend.
Elixir publishes “Perspective on the Rx Pipeline” report
- The report summarizes developments to watch in 2022, including research in the hemophilia gene therapy space, the launch of a generic alternative Revlimid (lenalidomide), increased availability of interchangeable biosimilars, and updates to treatment guidelines for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) therapy.
Clarivate publishes “Drugs to Watch in 2022”
- The report discusses seven investigational drugs forecasted to reach blockbuster status in five years.
- Drugs highlighted include two treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and one treatment for type 2 diabetes that has demonstrated superiority over semaglutide.
Gilead takes action against fraudulent distribution of HIV medications
- The manufacturer uncovered illegal schemes involving over 85,000 bottles of counterfeit and tampered products resold to pharmacies using counterfeit supply chain documentation.
- Gilead reports that many of the counterfeits originated from suppliers who purchased Gilead HIV medication from individuals after it was dispensed to them.
Novo Nordisk and Sanofi publish annual company reports
- Both manufacturers reported aggregate increases in list prices accompanied with decreases in net pricing.
Michigan passes three bills legislating PBMs and pharmacies
- House Bill 4348 prohibits spread pricing, pharmacist gag clauses, and requires PBMs to file transparency reports.
- House Bill 4351 prohibits PBMs from excluding or discriminating against pharmacies that they have no financial interest in.
- House Bill 4352 allows pharmacists and pharmacies to disclose prices of comparative generic and brand name drugs.
Nevada joins Northwest Prescription Drug Consortium
- The group, created in 2006 between Washington and Oregon, leverages the states’ combined purchasing power to negotiate better drug pricing.
Drug Channels discusses and compares copay accumulators and maximizers
- These two strategies can reduce plan spending on brand drugs by fully leveraging the value of manufacturer coupons.
Clinical Trials
Roctavian (valoctocogene roxaparvovec) meets all efficacy endpoints in phase 3 trial
- The high-cost gene therapy would be used to treat hemophilia A and will be submitted for FDA approval in 2022.
Explore more tags from this article
About the Author(s)
Contact us
We’re here to help you break through complex challenges and achieve next-level success.