Hello, everyone, and how are you today? We are doing just fine, thank you, especially since the middle of the week is upon us. After all, we have made it this far, so we are determined to hang on for another couple of days. And why not? The alternatives — at least those we can identify — are not so appetizing. And what better way to make the time fly than to keep busy. So grab that cup of stimulation and get started. Our flavor today is hot butter rum, for those tracking our habits. Now, though, the time has come to get busy. So please grab your own cup and dig in to the items of interest assembled below. We hope you have a wonderful day, and please do keep in touch. …
CVS Caremark, one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers in the country, agreed to pay at least $45 million to the state of Illinois to settle allegations that rebates were not passed through during a recent four-year period, according to a document obtained by STAT. At issue is a complicated, behind-the-scenes relationship between the PBM and several related entities — in particular, a so-called group purchasing organization — that allegedly obscured rebates paid by drug manufacturers but that should have been sent on to the state. This arrangement was noted in a contract that began in 2015 with the Illinois Department of Central Management Services.
Pfizer maintained that its gene therapy for hemophilia A successfully reduced patient bleeds for at least 15 months in a large Phase 3 trial, STAT says. But while the data may be enough to muster approval, they are unlikely to quell doubts about whether the treatment can provide a cure — as had once been hoped — or a meaningful option for most patients in the U.S. and Europe with the rare blood disorder. Experts also say there is little in the Pfizer data to suggest its treatment is better than a similar treatment from BioMarin, which has been a commercial disaster since winning U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval last year.
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