Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicare's Demand For Patient Data On Alzheimer's Drugs Spurs Debate
Reuters: US To Require Patient Data For Payment Of Leqembi, Similar Alzheimer's Drugs
The U.S. Medicare health plan said on Thursday it would limit reimbursement for Eisai Co Ltd and Biogen Inc's Alzheimer's drug Leqembi to patients whose doctors participate in a health agency database should the drug win full approval, a move advocates say will hinder its use. The decision marks the first time that Medicare has required data-collection through a so-called registry for the intended use of a drug that has been deemed safe and effective by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (Steenhuysen, 6/1)
Stat: Medicare Holds Firm On Alzheimer’s Drug Coverage Policy
Despite pressure from Congress and advocates, Medicare isn’t changing its coverage plan for new Alzheimer’s drugs anytime soon. Medicare on Thursday issued a statement reiterating its intent to require patient registries to collect data about how medications perform even after they gain full Food and Drug Administration approval. Eisai’s Leqembi could gain full approval within the next month, so time is running short for the agency to solidify details. (Cohrs, 6/1)
Axios: New CMS Alzheimer's Drug Coverage Plan Raises Questions Around Worth
A Medicare plan for covering new Alzheimer's drugs treatments is reviving thorny questions about whether pricey treatments with modest success slowing the disease's progression are worth the cost and safety concerns. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Thursday outlined conditions under which it would expand coverage for a specific class of Alzheimer's drugs, including Eisai and Biogen's experimental Leqembi. (Gonzalez, 6/2)
More on the high cost of drugs —
CNN: Drug Costs Lead Millions In The US To Not Take Medications As Prescribed, According To CDC
Millions of adults in the United States are not taking their medications as prescribed because of costs, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most adults between the ages of 18 and 64 took at least one prescription medication in 2021. But more than 8% of them – about 9.2 million people – said they tried to save money by skipping doses, taking less than prescribed or delaying a prescription fill, according to the CDC data. (McPhillips, 6/2)
AP: Supreme Court Revives Claims That SuperValu, Safeway Overcharged Governments For Generic Drugs
The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously revived whistleblower lawsuits claiming that supermarket and pharmacy chains SuperValu and Safeway overcharged government health-care programs for prescription drugs by hundreds of millions of dollars. The decision gives the whistleblowers another chance to pursue their claims that the companies defrauded the Medicare and Medicaid programs when they reported retail prices for generic prescription drugs, even though they had mainly been sold to customers at deeply discounted prices. (Sherman, 6/1)
Bloomberg: Cheapest Humira Alternative To Be Sold By Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs
AbbVie Inc.’s blockbuster drug Humira costs the US health system $90,000 per patient each year. Now, an emerging competitor plans to sell an alternative at an 85% discount. Coherus BioSciences Inc. will launch the cheapest-ever Humira copycat, Yusimry, in July, with a list price of $995 for two autoinjectors, the company said Thursday. That’s far below the $6,922 AbbVie charges for the same supply of its drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, plaque psoriasis and other autoimmune conditions. (Griffin, 6/1)
