Lawsuits Say GoodRx, PBMs Quash Reimbursements To Small Pharmacies

Reuters: GoodRx, PBMs Accused Of Suppressing Reimbursements To Independent Pharmacies
Drug coupon aggregator GoodRx and pharmacy benefit managers including CVS Caremark and Express Scripts have been hit with at least three class action lawsuits accusing them of working together to suppress reimbursements to small pharmacies for generic prescription drugs. The first lawsuit was filed by Minnesota-based Keaveny Drug in federal court in Los Angeles last Wednesday, and another was filed in the same court on Friday by Michigan-based Community Care Pharmacy. A third lawsuit was filed on Friday by Pennsylvania-based Old Baltimore Pike Apothecary and Smith's Pharmacy in Providence, Rhode Island, federal court. (Pierson, 11/4)

Reuters: Walgreens Agrees To Pay $100 Mln To Resolve Lawsuit Over Generic Drug Pricing
Walgreens has agreed to pay $100 million to settle a proposed class action lawsuit accusing it of fraudulently overcharging customers for a decade when they bought generic drugs through private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. (Pierson, 11/4)

Reuters: Hims & Hers Health Plans To Offer Generic Version Of Novo Nordisk's Diabetes Drug In 2025
Telehealth firm Hims & Hers Health said on Monday it plans to bring a generic version of Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug, liraglutide, to its platform in 2025. "We have already confirmed a core supplier for this addition and over the next few months expect to finish completing test and batch validation, as well as confirming certificates of analysis," the company said. Liraglutide, used to treat type 2 diabetes under the brand name Victoza, belongs to the first generation of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists, which curb appetite and help control blood sugar. (11/4)

Also —

CBS News: Kroger To Pay California Up To $122 Million For Its Role In The Opioid Epidemic
Kroger, the parent company of Ralphs, agreed to pay up to $122 million to California to resolve allegations that it failed to adequately monitor opioids distributed by its pharmacies. "At the California Department of Justice, we are committed to holding entities, like Kroger, accountable for their role in fueling the opioid epidemic," State Attorney General Rob Bonta said. "Today's announcement builds on our commitment in our continued fight for justice and relief." (Rodriguez, 11/4)

NBC News: Woman Falsely Claiming To Be Nurse Injected Fake Botox, Prosecutors Say
A Massachusetts woman passed herself as a nurse and dispensed thousands of doses of phony Botox and other fillers that had been smuggled into the U.S., authorities said. Rebecca Fadanelli, 38, of Stoughton, is scheduled to appear before a federal judge on Nov. 14 in Worcester, where she'll face allegations that she illegally imported the drugs, one count of dispensing a counterfeit drug and one count of selling or dispensing a counterfeit device, prosecutors said. (Li, 11/4)

Other research and technology news —

The Atlantic: A ‘Crazy’ Idea For Treating Autoimmune Diseases Might Actually Work
Lupus, doctors like to say, affects no two patients the same. The disease causes the immune system to go rogue in a way that can strike virtually any organ in the body, but when and where is maddeningly elusive. One patient might have lesions on the face, likened to wolf bites by the 13th-century physician who gave lupus its name. Another patient might have kidney failure. Another, fluid around the lungs. What doctors can say to every patient, though, is that they will have lupus for the rest of their life. (Zhang, 11/4)

KFF Health News: A Quick Return To School And Light Exercise May Help Kids Recover From Concussions
During cheerleading practice in April, Jana Duey’s sixth grade daughter, Karter, sustained a concussion when she fell several feet headfirst onto a gym floor mat. Days after, Karter still had a headache, dizziness, and sensitivity to light and noise. Karter rested for a week and a half at home in Centennial, Colorado, then returned to school when her concussion symptoms were tolerable — initially for just half-days and with accommodations allowing her to do schoolwork on paper instead of a screen and take extra time to get to and from classes. (Ruder, 11/5)

Fox News: Elon Musk Wants People To Submit Their Medical Scans To Grok, His AI Chatbot
Elon Musk is urging people to submit their medical scans to Grok for analysis, but doctors advise using caution when relying on artificial intelligence for health care insights. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO posted on X on Tuesday, encouraging his followers to submit X-rays, PET scans, MRIs or other medical images to the AI chatbot." This is still early stage, but it is already quite accurate and will become extremely good," Musk wrote. (Rudy, 10/29)