What We’re Reading: Drug Price Negotiation Participants; Low-Cost Biosimilar for Humira; Schools Stocking Naloxone

Major Drug Companies Agree to Participate in Medicare Drug Price Negotiations

Pharmaceutical companies including Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Bristol Myers Squibb have agreed to participate in Medicare drug price negotiations with the federal government, according to the Biden administration, NBC News reported. The negotiations are expected to begin next year, with the negotiated prices taking effect in 2026. The drug companies are the makers of the first 10 prescription drugs subject to price negotiations, including medications for conditions like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. Lawsuits from some of the drug companies are still ongoing.

Boehringer Ingelheim Launches Low-Cost Biosimilar of AbbVie's Humira in the US

Boehringer Ingelheim has released an unbranded version of its biosimilar for AbbVie's Humira (adalimumab) in the United States with a list price at an 81% discount to the reference drug, according to Reuters. This move comes after the launch of a branded biosimilar, Cyltezo (adalimumab-adbm), priced at a 5% discount to Humira's list price. Boehringer Ingelheim's biosimilars for Humira are designated as interchangeable by the FDA, allowing them to be substituted for the original without prescriber consultation. With 8 adalimumab biosimilars entering the US market this year, competition among manufacturers is growing, and several are seeking interchangeability status with the FDA.

Colorado Schools Grapple With Whether to Stock Naloxone

In Colorado, some school districts are facing a decision about whether to stock naloxone, a medication that rapidly reverses opioid overdoses, in their schools, according to KFF Health News. While more districts have enrolled in the state's program to obtain naloxone at a reduced cost or for free since passage of a state law in 2019, only about a third of Colorado districts had done so at the beginning of the current school year. The reluctance to stock naloxone is often due to concerns about stigma, providing a medical service, resupplying naloxone, and fears of the school being perceived as having a drug problem. However, health officials recommend its availability as opioid overdose deaths among young people continue to rise.