Peter Wehrwein, Managing Editor

Greg Baker, CEO of AffirmedRx, did not hold back in criticizing CVS Caremark, Optum Rx and Express Scripts and their group purchasing organizations today at the PBMI Annual National Conference.

Patrick Cooney, president of The Federal Group, a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm says prospects for legislation passing this year, albeit during the post-election lameduck session, are good partly because the PBM legislation would produce Medicare savings that could be put toward other uses.

The IQVIA vice president and frequent speaker at pharmacy and managed care meetings said he will retire in May 2025.

Cell and gene therapies are becoming almost an everyday clinical reality. But the price tags? They still have shock value. Payers and providers are working out single-case agreements ahead of when the therapies are given.

Projections calculated for AARP show that 8.4% of Part D enrollees will benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act's $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket costs that goes into effect in 2025.

Perceptions of affordability don't show an advantage to Medicare Advantage, say former and current Commonwealth Fund leaders.

Results presented at the 25th AIDS Conference showed that switching to Biktarvy resulted in approximately twice as much weight gain, on average, than switching to Dovato.

Intrauterine insemination is the procedure that Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz and his wife Gwen used to get pregnant.

Research published today in JAMA Health Forum Shows primary care physicians faced an average of 57 quality measures. The authors argue that many may interfere with care improvement and contribute to physician burnout.

They work by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines. But in a small percentage of patients antiinflammatory biologics may stir up “paradoxical psoriasis.”

Authors say their findings support current CDC recommendations for testing for the bacterial sexually transmitted infections, especially gonorrhea.

Associate director of healthcare and public health programs at the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe), a global nonprofit and professional home for digital medicine

Chief product and technology officer, Arcadia, a healthcare data company headquartered in Boston

Vice president of legal and compliance at Abarca Health, a pharmacy benefits manager and healthcare technology company.

Chief medical officer, complex care, AbsoluteCare, an integrated healthcare provider headquartered in Columbia, Maryland

Health Equity Officer at UCare, an independent, nonprofit health plan company with members in Minnesota and western Wisconsin

Director, specialty clinical solutions, Prime Therapeutics LLC, a pharmacy benefits manager in Eagan, Minnesota

Director, specialty pharmacy, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey

Vice president of implementation and sales, Longevity Health, a clinical services company and institutional special needs plan (ISNP) for nursing home residents

Executive director, specialty digital and patient innovation, CVS Health

Population health analyst on a dedicated health equity team, Optum Rx

Co-founder and CEO at Fabric Health, a public benefit corporation that conducts outreach about health benefits at laundromats

Director, formulary operations, Capital Rx, a pharmacy benefits manager and healthcare technology company

General counsel, 1upHealth, Inc., a healthcare data interoperability company in Boston.

The CDC has raised the recommded age at which people should get vaccinated to 75 and there are now three FDA-approved RSV vaccines

Health equity program director, Fallon Health, a not-for-profit health plan and provider of care headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts.

But the Minnesota governor and Kamala Harris' running mate was endorsed by the United Auto Workers and other unions soon after this morning's announcement that he was her VP pick.

Humira and Sterlara are still the mainstays of spending, but Vizient that expenditures on drugs that treat genetic disorders will climb to $25 billion in 2026,

Nine of the 10 top specialty drugs by expenditure are biologics, according to the Pharmaceutical Strategies Group report on specialty drug spending.

Juan Michael Porter II, a prominent healthcare journalist and HIV advocate, spoke to MHE about keeping HIV/AIDS a priority and the dynamics of funding programs and pharmaceutical pricing