Author's posts
Will Smith’s Controversial Incident At The Oscars Draws Attention To Hair Loss In Women
The actor Will Smith caused quite a controversy at last month’s Oscars ceremony, when he struck the comedian Chris Rock on stage, in response to a joke Rock made about Smith’s wife’s shaved head. Inadvertently, Smith’s slap drew attention to alopecia i…
Medicare National Coverage Determination For Lung Cancer Screening Substantially Expands Eligibility
Last month, CMS announced its final decision regarding expansion of reimbursement eligibility for annual lung cancer screening with low dose computed tomography. CMS is lowering the eligible age for smokers from 55 to 50, and reducing pack-year smoking…
Updated CDC Prescription Opioid Guidelines Appear More Flexible And Patient-Centric, But Fall Short
CDC has issued an updated draft guidance on prescription opioids that accounts to some degree for the changing landscape of the opioid crisis. The recommendations acknowledge the importance of a more patient-centric approach to pain management. Nonethe…
If Medicare Part D Redesign Ever Happens, It Could Lead To Lower Prescription Drug Prices
Build Back Better probably isn’t completely dead. Parts of it may be resurrected. Given its bipartisan support, it’s likely that Medicare Part D restructuring would constitute an integral component of any passable legislation, which would likely exert …
Covid-19 Pandemic Produces Shift In U.S. Policy On Providing Free Access To Tests, Vaccines, And Treatments During Public Health Emergencies
U.S. policy has come a long way from just two years ago when government officials declared that the pricing and affordability of Covid-19 vaccines should be left to the free market. Not ensuring affordability would have implied that ability to pay woul…
FTC Lets PBMs Off The Hook: For Now It Won’t Pursue A Formal Inquiry On Alleged PBM Anti-Competitive Practices
Despite statements by the Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Lina Khan, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Xavier Becerra, that they would formally scrutinize anti-competitive practices by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), …
EQRx Seeks To Establish A More Competitive Market For Oncology Drugs In The U.S.
EQRx aims to bring new medicines to market at what it states will be “radically lower” prices. The company is hoping to disrupt the cancer immunotherapy market and take on blockbuster drugs, such as Keytruda.
Aduhelm’s Paltry $1 Million In Q4 Sales Indicates CMS’s Coverage With Evidence Development May Be Biogen’s Only Chance At Salvaging Something From The Product
Medicare’s controversial draft decision – released on January 11th of this year – to restrict coverage of Aduhelm to beneficiaries who enroll in post-marketing clinical trials may be the only feasible option left for the product. Such a policy is calle…
Mark Cuban’s Online Pharmacy Projected To Disrupt The Prescription Drug Market, But With Caveats
Mark Cuban’s online pharmacy venture will have an impact, but initially it won’t be as disruptive to the prescription drug market as some project. The company’s impact on the market will be limited by the number and type (generic) of drugs offered, as …
Capital Rx Aims To Disrupt The PBM Market
Capital Rx is the nation’s fastest-growing PBM. Its business model has the potential to shake things up in an industry that could use more visibility in the ways in which prescription drugs are priced.
