Denise Myshko

State efforts are aiming to bring more disclosure and transparency to PBM practices, mandating certain pharmacy reimbursement levels, requiring 100% pass-through rebates, and prohibiting spread pricing.

Pharmacy costs and outpatient facility care generate 69% of the cost increase for 2025, according to Milliman’s recent Medical Index.

Jason R. Smith, Pharm.D., appointed as chief pharmacy officer in February 2025 for the University of Rochester Medical Center, talks about building a stronger workforce, managing drug shortages and keeping up with changes in regulations because of the new administration.

Sibeprenlimab would be offered in a prefilled syringe for subcutaneous injection. The PDUFA target action date is Nov. 28, 2025.

Scientists working at the NIH’s BRAIN Initiative have created new viral vectors that one day could lead to gene therapies for ALS, seizure disorders, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease and other diseases of the brain.

Nucula’s new indication is as an add-on therapy for patients with COPD who also have an elevated blood eosinophil count.

Susvimo is also approved to treat diabetic macular edema and age-related macular degeneration, and the medication, ranibizumab, is delivered through an ocular implant that is refilled every nine months.

Health plan sponsors are also expected to see a reduction in the net cost per prescription of GLP-1 medications to treat obesity.

A case analysis provides a new understanding of the ocular side effects of Blenrep, an antibody drug conjugate that is being reviewed by the FDA as a combination treatment for patients with multiple myeloma. The goal date is July 23, 2025.

Bayer’s Jivi is a factor VIII replacement therapy that has been engineered with a compound that allows for less frequent dosing. It is now indicated for patients 7 years of age and older.

A new law in Iowa, if signed by the governor, will mandate 100% pass-through of rebates, increased financial transparency, and a minimal payment for pharmacies. Critics say it will be the most costly mandate in the state’s history.

During a hearing, senators asked HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to explain the rationale for the reorganization changes the agency has made since he was confirmed.

Researchers have found that Sotyktu, which inhibits the protein TYK2, protects insulin-producing beta cells and, at the same time, is able to reduce inflammation.

Industry leaders and policy experts have said President Trump’s executive order on Most Favored Drug Pricing is flawed and ignores the basic economics of the global drug marketplace.

In a press conference, President Donald J. Trump announced that he would sign an executive order that ties drug pricing to prices in other developed countries. He also vowed to cut out the “middlemen” to bring the new prices to American citizens.

It could improve access to community pharmacies and lower prices. Or it will limit access to critical drugs and impact payers’ ability to contract for a broad range of services. Industry leaders are unsure about the impact of Arkansas’ law banning PBMs from owning pharmacies.

Payers may be tempted by lower prices and no rebates, but two-thirds of the respondents said their plan has experienced an increase in the amount of rebates they have received.

Express Scripts, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, CVS Caremark and Optum Rx are among the payers that have added Yesintek to their formularies.

For payers, claims for rare disease treatments used to be uncommon. Not now with an increasing number of new, high-priced drugs for rare diseases.

TIX100 is a small molecule inhibitor of TXNIP, a protein involved in cellular stress response and metabolism. This protein plays a role in the development and progression of diabetes.

If approved, Wegovy would be the first oral GLP-1 drug to treat obesity.

Cigna is raising its full-year 2025 outlook, with a consolidated adjusted income from operations to be about $29.60 per share.

The new research center at the University of Michigan and Oregon Health & Science University intends to develop a clinical trial platform that will be used to test several heart and kidney therapies in people living with type 1 diabetes.

During the first quarter of 2025, CVS Health recorded a premium deficiency reserve of $448 million within its individual exchange business.

Effective July 1, 2025, CVS Caremark will place Wegovy injection 2.4 mg as preferred on its commercial template formularies.

A future where healthcare may include augmented reality, robots and drones may be more fact than fiction, says George Van Antwerp, SVP of product innovation and strategic planning at Prime Therapeutics.

As healthcare AI evolves, there will be a greater emphasis on streamlining administrative tasks, drug production and service delivery, according to George Van Antwerp, SVP of product innovation and strategic planning at Prime Therapeutics.

Insurance hurdles and the complexities of prior authorization create barriers to care, according to oncologists in a new survey by Sermo.

Novo Nordisk has teamed up with Hims & Hers Health, LifeMD and Ro for cash-paying patients to access Wegovy injection 2.4 mg through its NovoCare Pharmacy.

Giant Eagle also helped EmpiRx Health create a national pharmacy care network that was purpose-built for pharmacy and grocery chains.