Newsletter
Pharmacy Briefing | November 2022
04 January 2023
Highlights
- Tzield (teplizumab-mzwv) is approved as a first-in-class therapy to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes.
- Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) analyzes impact of possible COVID-19 vaccine commercialization
- IQVIA report explores the impact of pharmacy discount cards
- Amgen publishes 2022 Biosimilar Trends Report
FDA approvals and launches
- Tzield (teplizumab-mzwv) is approved as a first-in-class therapy to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes.
- Hemgenix (etranacogene dezaparvovec) is approved as a gene therapy to treat hemophilia B, costs $3.5 million per treatment.
- Furoscix (furosemide) is approved as a subcutaneously delivered product used to treat chronic heart failure.
News
Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) analyzes impact of possible COVID-19 vaccine commercialization
- It is likely that the cost burden of COVID-19 vaccines will shift to commercial payers in 2023.
- Pfizer has suggested a list price of between $110 and $130 per dose while Moderna has suggested a list price of between $82 and $100 per dose.
- Per-dose costs for commercial payers are likely to be significantly higher than for federally-purchased doses.
IQVIA report explores the impact of pharmacy discount cards
- The research group estimates that discount cards were used in 5.4% of all prescription adjudications in 2021.
- GoodRx was estimated to be the largest vendor in this space, with 46% of the market share by volume.
Amgen publishes 2022 Biosimilar Trends Report
- The manufacturer estimates that, over the past six years, there has been $21 billion in savings for drug classes with biosimilar competition.
- In the EU, Humira’s market share dropped to an estimated 34% after roughly four years of biosimilar availability.
- Amgen received the first FDA approval for a Humira biosimilar with Amjevita, which has an anticipated launch sometime in 2023.
National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) president discusses real-world impact of 340b program
- The organization’s president cites a need for “ferreting out the profiteering the law has enabled” and references a study which “found that just 1.4% of 340B-eligible claims show that discounts were actually given to patients.”
Pharmacy retailers agree to billions in opioid settlements
- Retailers such as CVS and Walgreens are alleged to have mishandled prescriptions for opioid products, contributing to the nationwide epidemic.
- Several manufacturers implicated in the epidemic have also agreed to similar settlements.
Elixir releases 2023 formulary changes
- A prior authorization requirement will be added to the GLP-1 drug class, in part, to ensure appropriate use for both diabetes and weight-loss.
- Elixir’s non-essential drug (NED) program will add 17 products including certain forms of diabetes drug metformin and muscle-relaxant baclofen.
TRICARE’s PBM, Express Scripts, removes thousands of pharmacies from pharmacy network
- Approximately 27% of pharmacies in the TRICARE network were removed; most of these pharmacies were independent pharmacies.
- Removals may disproportionately affect patients living in rural areas of the country.
- Kroger pharmacies will also no longer be part of the TRICARE retail pharmacy network starting January 1, 2023.
Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs Company partners with EmsanaRx, Rightway Healthcare, and Capital Blue Cross
- The collaboration with EmsanaRx, Rightway Healthcare, two PBMs, and Capital Blue Cross, a health plan, will help the company increase its footprint in the industry.
HHS’s Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) publishes Trends in Prescription Drug spending, 2016-2021
- Steady increases in prescription drug spending were driven mainly by increases in spending per prescription as opposed to increases in utilization.
- The report also discusses the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on the pharmaceutical industry.
Evernorth launches Specialty Adherence Protection program
- The program aims to target specialty drug spend as an opportunity to improve patient adherence and reduce waste.