STAT+: Pharmalittle: Big PBM keeps AbbVie’s Humira on formulary; Lilly CEO says fake tweet means there’s more to do on insulin costs


Good morning, everyone, and how are you today? We are doing just fine, thank you, as we make our way through a three-day jaunt to the corporate nerve center for different gatherings. We are fortified, of course, by cups of stimulation, which we find when and where we can when on the road. Perhaps you can relate. Meanwhile, as we hunt for still another, here is the latest laundry list of interesting items to help you on your journey today. We do hope you have a meaningful and productive experience. And as always, we invite you to keep in touch. After all, our work is more interesting when you pass along insights, tips, and secrets. …

UnitedHealth Group’s pharmacy benefits manager, OptumRx, will keep AbbVie’s Humira alongside up to three biosimilar medicines next year, Bloomberg News writes. The decision is a partial win for AbbVie, since its rheumatoid arthritis treatment has generated almost $200 billion in sales in nearly two decades. Several competing biosimilar versions are set to debut in the U.S. in 2023, giving prescription drug plans a chance to pit different suppliers against one another for discounts. Optum Rx, which is the third-largest U.S. pharmacy benefit manager and managed $112 billion in drug spending last year, will place biosimilars on its formulary in the same position as Humira.

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