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What We're Reading: Aetna to Meet With DOJ to Discuss Humana Deal
What we're reading, July 8, 2016: Aetna will meet with the Department of Justice to discuss Humana purchase; Pfizer will disclose serious risk of addiction when marketing opioids; and US insurers' spending on prescription drugs nearly quadrupled from 2003 to 2014.
Aetna is said to meet with antitrust officials on Friday to discuss its proposed purchase of Humana. Aetna will make the argument that its overlap with Humana is small and will not have a significant impact on competition, reported Bloomberg. However, Fortune is reporting that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has significant concerns, which has caused shares of Humana to fall. The DOJ has already met with Anthem and Cigna to discuss their own merger and expressed concern that the deal could reduce competition.
Although Pfizer sells a small amount of opioids in comparison to other drug makers, it is taking steps to curb opioid addiction. According to The Washington Post, Pfizer reached an agreement with Chicago, which sued opioid manufacturers over misleading marketing of opioids. As part of the agreement, Pfizer will disclose the serious risk of addiction that prescription painkillers carry. In addition, Pfizer is helping Chicago in its investigation and lawsuit.
US insurers’ spending on prescription drugs nearly quadrupled from 2003 to 2014. During the same time period, the number of prescriptions being filled only tripled, reported AP. In 2003, spending on specialty drugs was just 11% of all spending on prescriptions filled, but that jumped to 43% in 2014.
Eculizumab Biosimilar ABP 959 Demonstrates Similarity to Reference in Patients With PNH
December 6th 2023ABP 959, an eculizumab biosimilar in development, has demonstrated similar efficacy and pharmacokinetics to the reference product for patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), according to research at the 2023 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting.
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Understanding the Unmet Need for Therapies to Treat Rare Bile Duct Cancer
May 24th 2022On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we bring you an excerpt of an interview with a co-chair of the 2022 Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation (CCF) annual conference, held earlier this year, about the significant unmet therapy needs facing most patients with this rare cancer.
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Data analysis showed that 40% of patients who filled a prescription for Wegovy in 2021 or 2022 were still taking it a year later; both Democrats and reproductive rights organizations are pressuring the Biden administration to ensure health insurers fully cover contraception; CMS implemented Medicare changes in March that limited access to blood tests that help transplant recipients ensure their organs remain healthy.
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Exclusive Telemedicine Use Linked to Less Favorable Glycemic Outcomes for T2D Endocrinology Care
December 6th 2023Adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) undergoing endocrinology care are more likely to experience less favorable hemoglobin A1c improvements if they only use telemedicine compared with patients using in-person care or a mix of both.
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