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What We’re Reading: VA Will Cover Alzheimer Drug; Pfizer to Buy Seagen for $43B; Novo Nordisk to Cut Insulin Costs
The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will cover Alzheimer drug lecanemab (Leqembi) based on inclusion criteria approval and other factors; Pfizer Inc. will buy drug maker Seagen Inc. and their targeted cancer drugs for $43 billion; Novo Nordisk will reduce its insulin costs by up to 75%, and also plans to discount other drugs.
Alzheimer Drug Gains VA Coverage
Eisai Co Ltd and Biogen Inc announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will cover their Alzheimer drug lecanemab (Leqembi) to veterans in early stages of the disease, said Reuters. The drug will be available if patients request it, receive prior approval, and meet strict inclusion criteria. Access to the drug is currently limited by multiple factors, including reimbursement restrictions by Medicare. Leqembi has been approved under the FDAs accelerated review program, and Medicare currently restricts drugs in that category. The drug manufacturers anticipate that Leqembi will receive full FDA approval by summer 2023 or by the end of the year.
Pfizer Will Buy Seagen for $43 Billion
Pfizer Inc. has agreed to pay $43 billion for biotech Seagen Inc. and its targeted cancer drugs, reported The Wall Street Journal. Current terms state that Pfizer would pay $229 per share in cash, with the deal, which includes debt, expected to close in late 2023 or early 2024. The purchase will likely face scrutiny from antitrust regulators who have increased their reviews of health care deals and other mergers and acquisitions. Seagen is known for its antibody drug conjugates, which enable more precise targeting of tumors.
Novo Nordisk to Cut Some Insulin Prices by up to 75%
Novo Nordisk A/S will slash US list prices for multiple insulin drugs by up to 75%, making them the latest drugmaker to lower prices as pressure mounts to contain diabetes treatment costs, reported The Washington Post. The company is one of the largest sellers of insulin in the U.S. and worldwide. The price of its NovoLog insulin will be reduced by 75% and the prices of Novolin and Levemir by 65% beginning in January 2024. Novo Nordisk also plans to reduce prices for its unbranded insulin products to match the lowered price of their corresponding brands. The move comes 2 weeks after Eli Lilly announced price reductions on some of its insulin products.
Urticaria Diagnosis Challenged by Overlapping Pruritic Skin Conditions
April 23rd 2025Urticaria is complicated to diagnose by its symptomatic overlap with other skin conditions and the frequent misclassification in literature of distinct pathologies like vasculitic urticaria and bullous pemphigus.
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New Research Challenges Assumptions About Hospital-Physician Integration, Medicare Patient Mix
April 22nd 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Brady Post, PhD, lead author of a study published in the April 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care®, challenges the claim that hospital-employed physicians serve a more complex patient mix.
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Personalized Care Key as Tirzepatide Use Expands Rapidly
April 15th 2025Using commercial insurance claims data and the US launch of tirzepatide as their dividing point, John Ostrominski, MD, Harvard Medical School, and his team studied trends in the use of both glucose-lowering and weight-lowering medications, comparing outcomes between adults with and without type 2 diabetes.
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ACOs’ Focus on Rooting Out Fraud Aligns With CMS Vision Under Oz
April 23rd 2025Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are increasingly playing the role of data sleuths as they identify and report trends of anomalous billing in hopes of salvaging their shared savings. This mission dovetails with that of CMS, which under the new administration plans to prioritize rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse.
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