Federal, state efforts to expand drug coverage may challenge evidence-based formulary practices

Liraglutide injection is now approved for adult and pediatric patients ages 10 and up, proving another option amid the GLP-1 shortage.

In this week's episode of Tuning Into The C-Suite podcast, MHE's Briana Contreras chatted with David Calabrese, R.Ph, MHP, who is senior vice president and chief pharmacy officer of pharmacy care services company, OptumRx. David is also a member of Managed Healthcare Executives’ Editorial Advisory Board. During the discussion, he shared the OptumRx Quarter 2 Drug Pipeline Insights Report of 2020. Some of the information shared includes the three notable drugs currently being reviewed or those that have been recently approved by the FDA. Also discussed were any interesting industry trends to watch for.

If approved, Molbreevi could be the first FDA-approved treatment for patients with autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, a rare lung disease.

Tryngolza is once-monthly, subcutaneous RNA-targeted therapy and is expected to be available by the end of the year with a price of $595,000.

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review assessed the formularies of 11 payers, covering 57 million people, to determine access for drugs that the organization had reviewed in 2022 for cost-effectiveness.

Originally approved in 2009, Stelara patents began expiring in 2023, leading to an influx of recent biosimilars.