Recent congressional focus on the business practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) has been intense. Six committees have held 11 hearings related to PBMs in the first 20 weeks of the 118th Congress, and legislation is advancing in both chambers.
After 20 years, the monopoly for Abbvie’s Humira (adalimumab) has ended with the recent entry of Amgen’s biosimilar Amjevita. However, Amgen’s dual pricing strategy for its product has been raising some eyebrows.
In response to the FTC’s request for information regarding the business practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and their impact on pharmacies and consumers, MGA’s Alex Brill submitted a letter detailing his findings.
MGA has released a new report today, “Understanding Drug Rebates and Their Role in Promoting Competition,” authored by founder and CEO Alex Brill.
“Would legislators take the opportunity to redo some parts of the BPCIA, if they had the chance? Both [Alex] Brill and Hayes said while that, too, is theoretically possible—such as shortening the period of patent exclusivity or changing other aspects of the patent dance—the danger is that it would then get stuck in the quagmire of politics.”
