Express Scripts Repatha, Praluent Deals: What It Means
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
After all the handwringing about whether payers would cover the newly approved proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors Praluent (alirocumab), marketed by Sanofi SA and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Repatha (evolocumab), from Amgen Inc., Express Scripts Holding Co., the largest pharmacy benefit management (PBM) company in the US, said it has sealed deals for both drugs – declaring it has scored discounts on the medicines, which means neither will be excluded from its formulary.
You may also be interested in...
Industry Tightens Drug Pricing Message, But Loose Ends Remain
Drug makers are under increasing pressure regarding the cost of their medicines, but instead of pointing fingers at payers for patients' out-of-pocket costs, the industry has shifted to a more collaborative tone, although some tensions will take time to overcome.
Amgen's Harper Says Repatha Is Priced Right
The things that keep Sean Harper up at night have changed over the last few years as science has advanced and the drug development landscape has changed. Harper, who is the head of R&D at big biotech Amgen Inc., once worried that his company wouldn't be able to keep up, now he's concerned with where the money is going to come from.
Moderna's Valera Takes mRNA Approach To Combat Zika
With new funding in hand, Moderna and its infectious disease venture Valera are going full-speed ahead with a Zika vaccine, taking an mRNA approach, which they said could be a more rapid strategy to try to stop the disease.