Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. Sadly, gray skies are hovering over the Pharmalot campus right now, but our spirits remain sunny, nonetheless. Why? We will draw on a bit of insight from the Morning Mayor, who taught us that “Every new day should be unwrapped like a precious gift.” To celebrate the notion, we are brewing still more cups of stimulation and invite you to join us. Remember, a prescription is not required. So no need to mess with rebates. Our choice today is crème brûlée. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest. Hope you have a smashing day and, of course, do stay in touch. …
Starting April 1, CVS Health will no longer offer AbbVie’s Humira to patients in its commercial prescription plans and, instead, will direct them to biosimilar versions of the anti-inflammatory drug that became available last year, Bloomberg News writes. CVS’s Caremark unit is the first major pharmacy benefit manager to announce such a shift. The move is a blow for AbbVie, which managed to keep Humira on PBM lists of covered drugs even when plans added lower-cost biosimilars. CVS’s Cordavis unit will also start selling a version of Humira with AbbVie in the second quarter, though it will not be preferred on CVS commercial drug plans.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is evaluating reports of side effects such as hair loss and suicidal thoughts in people taking medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which are approved to treat diabetes or weight loss, CNN reports. These include Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy, Saxenda, Victoza, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. The FDA is “evaluating the need for regulatory action” after its FDA Adverse Event Reporting System or FAERS received reports of alopecia, or hair loss; aspiration, or accidentally breathing in things like food or liquid; and suicidal ideation in people using these medications.