Feds Plan To Sue CVS, UnitedHealth, Cigna Over Drug Rebates: Source
A person familiar with the investigation who asked not to be named said the complaint is still being drafted but could be filed this month, the Los Angeles Times reported. In other pharmaceutical news: the price of Ozempic, updates on the Abbott trial, tanning pills, and more.
Los Angeles Times:
FTC Preparing Suit Against Drug Middlemen Over Insulin Rebates
The Federal Trade Commission is preparing a lawsuit against the three largest drug intermediaries over their use of rebates for insulin and other drugs, according to a person familiar with the probe. The agency has been investigating whether the rebate practices of insulin manufacturers and three pharmacy benefit managers — units of CVS Health Corp., Cigna Group and UnitedHealth Group Inc. — violate federal law, said the person, who asked not to be named discussing an ongoing probe. (Nylen and Tozzi, 7/10)
Reuters:
US Senator Sanders Optimistic Novo Nordisk Can Be Pressured To Cut Wegovy, Ozempic Prices
Senator Bernie Sanders on Wednesday expressed confidence that Novo Nordisk can be convinced to cut the U.S. prices of its popular Ozempic and Wegovy drugs used for weight loss by publicly shaming the company over how much it charges compared with prices in other countries. Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Jorgensen is set to testify before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), which Sanders chairs, in a September hearing focusing on U.S. prices for Ozempic and Wegovy. (Aboulenein, 7/10)
In other pharmaceutical news —
Bloomberg:
Abbott Accused At Trial Of Hiding Fatal Risk Of Infant Formula
Abbott Laboratories hid the risks of its premature-infant formula causing a potentially fatal bowel disease from parents even though company officials acknowledged the peril in internal documents, a lawyer told a Missouri jury. The company was accused of putting profits over safety by an attorney for the mother of a premature baby girl who developed necrotizing enterocolitis, or NEC, and suffered brain damage after being fed Abbott’s Similac Special Care 24, a cow’s milk-based formula. (Feeley, 7/10)
The Star Tribune:
Most Patients Quit GLP-1 Drugs In Two Years, Jeopardizing Their Weight Loss
Four in five people taking GLP-1 medications for weight loss quit them in two years, even though the drugs are supposed to be taken much longer to maintain their benefits, according to a new report by Eagan-based Prime Therapeutics. Wednesday's report is disappointing because many people regain all their weight after discontinuing the injectable drugs such as Wegovy and put themselves back at risk for costly chronic diseases, said Pat Gleason, an associate vice president for health outcomes at Prime, which manages pharmacy benefits for Blue Cross insurance plans nationwide. (Olson, 7/10)
Fox News:
What Are Tanning Pills? Dermatologists Warn That Bronzing Your Skin Orally Is 'Not Safe'
Some people are trading UV rays for tanning pills, as numerous social media influencers have raved about how these supplements have given their skin a tan glow. But are they safe? These pills contain a variety of ingredients – including L-tyrosine, beta-carotene and astaxanthin – that could potentially have a color-changing effect on the skin. Doctors are warning that this alternative means of bronzing the skin can come with risks. (Stabile, 7/10)
