Do you want the good news first or the bad news first? The bad news is that Medicare rejected Astellas’ antifungal Cresemba (isavuconazonium) for add-on payments. The good news is that the decision might provide momentum for the cause of enhanced Medicare reimbursements for new antimicrobial drugs, and a new mechanism would create a more reliable incentive for sponsors to develop products.
The difficulties experienced by new antimicrobial and antifungal products in obtaining an increased reimbursement level for introduction is one reason...