Patient-based strategies encourage increased use of generic drugs

Whether Express Scripts wins its unique defamation lawsuit will depend on whether the PBM can prove the FTC made false statements. But winning the lawsuit may not be what the PBM is looking for.

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.

Express Scripts alleges in its suit that the FTC followed “prejudice and politics, not evidence or sound economics,” and that there is no support for the assertion that the power of PBMs has increased over time.

The new program, which begins in January 2025, provides members of Prime Therapeutics support for navigating utilization management requirements and finding financial assistance.

An Ohio State University survey found that many adults are hesitant about getting flu, COVID-19, pneumococcal and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines.

Ocrevus Zunovo can be administrated by providers twice a year with a 10-minute subcutaneous injection. Ocrevus Zunovo will be available in a few weeks and be priced at parity with Ocrevus IV.