Formulary Watch |

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.

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.

The FDA has accepted the new drug application for the antipsychotic Bysanti and set a goal date for February 21, 2026.

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

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

Adult and pediatric generalized myasthenia gravis patients have a new, longer acting option for treatment called Imaavy.

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

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.

Nationwide, 58% of Medicare beneficiaries living in rural areas are enrolled in stand-alone prescription drug plans in 2025.

The complete response letter did not identify any issues with the safety or efficacy of Eylea HD, Regeneron officials said.

Chronic spontaneous urticaria is chronic inflammatory skin disease driven in part by type 2 inflammation, which causes sudden and debilitating hives and recurring itch.

If approved, Eylea would be the first treatment for RVO with 8-week dosing. The FDA target action date is Aug. 19, 2025.

The FDA has seized several hundred units of counterfeit Ozempic 1 mg

In one study, once-daily danuglipron resulted in one patient who experienced drug-related elevated liver enzymes.

Jobevne is the fifth Avastin biosimilar, which are recombinant humanized monoclonal antibodies used to treat several different types of cancer.

A new paper by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) looks at the cost-effectiveness versus affordability issue of obesity medications such as Wegovy and Zepbound.

The FDA has set a goal date of Aug. 27, 2025. If approved, the therapy would be branded as Lytenava and be the first ophthalmic formulation of bevacizumab.

Bkemv is being offered at 10% off Soliris, and Epysqli is offered at 30% below Soliris. Both biosimilars treat several of the same rare immune diseases as Soliris.

Uplizna is the first approved treatment for immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD), a chronic inflammatory condition that can affect multiple organs. It has a price of $140,248.50 per dose.

Vanrafia reduces proteinuria in adults with primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). It has a wholesale acquisition cost of $162,500 annually.

The fourth pair of denosumab biosimilars, Conexxence and Bomyntra, are expected to launch in the United States in mid 2025, as a result of a global settlement with Amgen, according to a company news release.

Vykat XR will be available in April to treat the intense hunger that is a hallmark of the rare genetic disease Prader-Willi syndrome. The price is based on a patient’s weight, and the average patient in the clinical trials would have had an average annual cost of $466,200 for the first year.