Formulary Watch |

Blue Shield’s new program will unbundle pharmacy services for increased transparency with the goal of saving $500 million annually. The health plan is also teaming up Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company and Amazon Pharmacy.

The number of health plans that put in place restrictive policies that go beyond FDA-approved label is increasing, a new Tufts study finds.

Sohonos was approved to treat children with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive, an ultra-rare disease that transforms the body’s soft tissue into bone. It has an annual list price of $624,000.

LucyRx has $500 million in equity it will use for acquisitions and to build technology and infrastructure. It aims to be a national, full-service alternative to the big three PBMs.

Kaiser Permanente has a 95% formulary compliance rate, and this allows the health plan to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for lower prices.

Biosimilars that are interchangeable with Humira could provide more competition on price, a new analysis suggests.

Payers’ requirements for the use of Camyzos in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are generally consistent with the registration study, but they also imposed restrictions beyond the FDA indication or ICER recommendation.

Current treatments urea cycle disorders, which causes ammonia to build up in the blood, have a bitter taste and smell. Pheburane was developed with a special coating that masks the taste of sodium phenylbutyrate. It has a list price of $4,375 per bottle.

Capital Blue Cross uses algorithms to help find drug manufacturer coupon programs. It has saved $4.5 million in the first quarter of 2023.

Almost half of adults surveyed by KFF would be interested in taking a weight-loss drug, including many who say they only want to lose a little weight.

This abstract at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO 2023) looked at the growing utilization of trastuzumab biosimilars over time in India.

The specialty pharmacy business is a driver of Cigna’s growth, accounting for 40% of the Evernorth’s revenue.

Researchers say capping insulin costs at $35 a month has the potential to lower events and costs related to diabetes, such as amputations, vision loss, and heart attacks.

CVS’s health services segment includes CVS Caremark, but the company would not break out the revenue the PBM business only.

The Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) published a white paper on the impact that ongoing drug shortages have had on the generic and biosimilar industries, as well as possible solutions stakeholders can put into action.