Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The New Weapon In Ongoing Battle Between Drug Companies And Pharmacy Benefit Managers
Stat: Which Drug Makers Are Most Vulnerable To A New Cost-Shifting Maneuver?
Over the past year, pharmacy benefit managers have deployed a new weapon against the widely used but controversial copay assistance programs that drug makers distribute to consumers. Clumsily called copay accumulators, these are raising a controversy of their own over concerns consumers will pay more for their medicines. And drug makers, meanwhile, worry about a big financial hit. These accumulators, which target specialty medicines that are typically more expensive and are often injected or infused, do not count the value of any coupons toward out-of-pocket medicine costs that are applied toward deductibles. (Silverman, 4/18)
Stat: Supreme Court Weighs Reviewing A Whistleblower Case Against Gilead
In a case fraught with implications for the pharmaceutical industry, the U.S. Supreme Court has asked the solicitor general for its views on a lawsuit involving Gilead Sciences (GILD) and what constitutes a material representation by companies that bill the federal government. The request came in a long-running whistleblower suit that accused the company of misleading regulators about contaminated ingredients used in various HIV medicines and falsifying data to win marketing approval for the drugs. (Silverman, 4/18)
