Pricing & Reimbursement

The company has filed its first drug in the UK and initiated a US-based Phase III trial; US drug pricing legislation underscores the company's value proposition, CEO says.

Brand drug companies might be able to use patent settlements with generic and biosimilar makers to get out of the drug price negotiations that will be created under the US legislation nearing enactment, but sponsors could run into regulatory and antitrust obstacles.

In this week's podcast version of Five Must-Know Things: planned US drug pricing legislation in focus; solid quarter but no Seagen announcement for Merck & Co; AbbVie’s Gonzalez sounds alarm over US pricing legislation; Alnylam ready to expand in amyloidosis; and Boehringer Ingelheim on global Jardiance strategy.

With Lilly’s sales narrative hampered by global price pressures, Lilly CEO David Ricks again criticized drug price negotiation proposals before Congress. Mounjaro launch offers a bright spot, exceeding projections.

Investors and pharma stakeholders scramble to extend the time period before small molecule drugs are subject to government mandated discounts as Senate drug pricing legislation moves toward a floor vote.

US drug pricing legislation that has picked up momentum could stymie R&D investment and curb the revenue tail for some big drugs, industry says, but CEOs also expect they can navigate the challenge. 

Sarepta has experience pursuing accelerated approvals in the US for Duchenne muscular dystrophy therapies, but with a costly gene therapy will payers require data from a controlled Phase III study?

AbbVie posts solid quarter on strength of Skyrizi growth and continued US growth for Humira ahead of patent expiry. Imbruvica revenue continues to decline, however.

The company announced a respectable increase in second quarter sales and expects to announce topline results within the next three weeks for the Phase III trial of Onpattro in ATTR-CM.

Sales rose significantly for Reblozyl and for Abecma and Breyanzi, despite manufacturing challenges for the two cell therapies. Newly approved Opdualag and Camzyos are off to encouraging starts.

The company’s Quviviq launch has fallen short of early expectations, but Idorsia believes a patient approach will pay off for the blockbuster-tipped insomnia treatment.

Only four multinationals, including Pfizer, had to make deep cuts to the prices of their off-patent drugs to outbid local generic competitors in China’s seventh round of centralized volume-based procurement. Among the foreign firms that lost out in the bidding, Eisai looks set to be dealt the heaviest blow in terms of market share.