Radar on Drug Benefits

January 10
Nearly 500 Medications See Price Hikes in New Year

After only one week into the new year, drug manufacturers have raised the list prices of almost 500 medications. On average, prices on 491 drugs have increased 5.2%, according to GoodRx, a company that tracks the cost of more than 3,000 medications. Neos Therapeutics, Inc.’s attention deficit hyperactivity disorder treatment, Cotempla XR, saw a price jump of 13.2%, the largest increase so far in 2020. Merck & Co., Novartis International AG and Allergan plc are among the companies that raised prices on several of their products, Reuters reports, citing a 3 Axis Advisors analysis. Novartis increased prices on nearly 30 drugs, including one of the most commonly prescribed medications, Cosentyx, which treats moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. Pfizer Inc.’s Diazepam, a treatment for anxiety disorders, alcohol withdrawal symptoms and muscle spasms, saw a price increase of 7.8%.
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January 10
2020 Outlook: State Lawmakers Tee Up Bills on PBMs, Drug Pricing This Year

State lawmakers will continue to focus on the cost of prescription drugs as the 2020 legislative season gets underway, potentially advancing measures to require the disclosure of manufacturer drug pricing information and bills to limit or eliminate the role PBMs play in state Medicaid programs.

However, the abbreviated length of the election-year legislative sessions, plus some unexpected hiccups in states that already have passed bills on those issues, could limit how much actually gets done at the state level in 2020, legislative observers say.
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- Radar on Drug Benefits
January 10
2020 Outlook: ‘Wild Year’ Is Expected for Large, Consolidated PBMs

Though the two major transactions that upended the PBM landscape — Cigna Corp. buying Express Scripts Holding Co. and CVS Health Corp. acquiring Aetna Inc. — have already taken place, that doesn’t mean the sector won’t see more changes this year, industry experts tell AIS Health. Not only will those companies be tasked with proving that their vertical combinations can deliver significant value, but they will have to feed the market’s appetite for innovation while differentiating their unique business models from competitors.

“The market is evolving,” says Brian Anderson, a principal with Milliman, Inc. The year 2020 will be marked by a presidential election and significant price pressure on manufacturers, along with pharmacies trying to retain their margin, he adds, “so it’s going to be a really wild year.”
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