pharmaceuticals

As Congress pushes for Medicare to cover payment for anti-obesity drugs, Denmark — home of Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk — has limited coverage of the drug after cost overruns “emptied all the money boxes in the entire public health system.”

A flood of litigation — with plaintiffs like small businesses, drugmakers, and hospitals challenging regulations — could leave the country with a patchwork of disparate health regulations.

The failed dissolution of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals' extended-release capsules may cause high potassium levels, also known as hyperkalemia, which can result in irregular heart beat that can lead to cardiac arrest.

President Joe Biden is campaigning on his efforts to cut drug costs for Medicare patients. But independent pharmacists say one strategy makes it unaffordable for them to keep some brand-name medicines in stock.

The makers of Ozempic and Mounjaro charge charge around $1,000 a month for the drugs, and insurers are reluctant to pick up the tab. Often, low-income patients have to resort to less effective treatments.

The FDA told Amgen to test whether a quarter-dose of sotorasib worked as well as the amount on the label. It did, but the biotech is sticking to the higher dose, which earns it an extra $180,000 a year per patient.

A study by the Rand Corp., a nonpartisan research organization, found that, across all drugs, U.S. prices were 2.78 times higher than the prices in 33 OECD countries. The gap was even larger for brand-name drugs.

For years, addiction response teams have traveled around Florida to connect people who have overdosed on opioids with resources and recovery centers. Now, a handful have a new tool in their kit.

A judge had ruled the state had the authority to enter settlements with the pharmaceutical industry that trumped lawsuits pursued by the hospital districts and school boards.

Drugmakers offer copay assistance programs to patients, but insurers are tapping into those funds, not counting the amounts toward patient deductibles. That leads to unexpected charges. But the practice is under growing scrutiny.