Enbrel (Etanercept), Immunex/Wyeth-Ayerst

According to Regeneron, the drug is a bispecific antibody that binds to B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) on cancerous plasma cells and CD3 on T cells, directing the immune system to attack and destroy multiple myeloma cells.

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.

Optum Rx officials said they now have eliminated reauthorization requirements for more than 140 chronic disease medications.

A separate Prime analysis, however, of year-over-year claims data for Wegovy and Zepbound only found an improvement in adherence in 2024, suggesting there is an evolving understanding of obesity treatment.

More than 50 insurers have pledged to streamline and simplify the prior authorization process through six new commitments.

The FDA had resolved the shortage of Wegovy in April, and telehealth providers were advised to stop selling compounded semaglutide products. Novo Nordisk said that Hims & Hers continues to offer these compounded drugs.