STAT+: Pharmalittle: We're reading about FTC criticizing PBMs, an NIH policy on access to medicines, and more

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 pistachio creme — sweets for the sweet, you know? And now … onward. Here are a few items of interest to help you get started. We hope you have a lovely day, and do keep in touch. …

For the second time in less than a year, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission released a highly critical report of pharmacy benefit managers, which play a crucial but opaque role in the pharmaceutical supply chain. And the findings may provide further impetus for legislative action to curb practices that critics say contribute to the rising cost of prescription drugs, STAT says. The latest report accuses the PBMs — CVS Caremark, Optum Rx, and Express Scripts, all of which are owned by large health insurers — of boosting prices of specialty generic drugs that are sold through their own pharmacies. By doing so, the companies significantly padded their bottom lines at the expense of the American health care system, according to the FTC. Specifically, the companies were able to generate more than $7.3 billion in revenue by dispensing medicines to treat cancer, HIV, heart disease, and other serious illnesses at prices that exceeded their estimated acquisition costs between 2017 and 2022. 

A federal watchdog weighed in on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s controversial accelerated approval pathway, identifying three instances where the agency deviated from protocol during a drug approval, STAT writes. The report, released by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, intended to determine whether the FDA’s contentious approval of Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm, was the outlier or the norm. The agency approved the drug against the recommendations of an independent advisory panel. STAT later revealed that Biogen executives recruited an FDA official to help secure the approval. The report suggested that Aduhelm was more of an outlier, as investigators found only three troubling instances out of a sample of 24 accelerated approval drugs. But Ivan Troy, social science analyst at HHS OIG, noted even one misstep can negatively impact scores of patients. 

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