Rx Cost Containment At CareFirst Driven By Physician Incentives

Legal changes that allow more data sharing can encourage value-based contracting, Executive VP-Medical Affairs Blum says

The pharmaceutical cost containment strategy for Maryland-based insurer CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield revolves around integrating prescription drug and medical costs and incentivizing physicians to reduce them, Executive VP-Medical Affairs Jonathan Blum explained at a recent forum on “Affordable Medicines and Value-Based Payments,” convened by the Bipartisan Policy Center.

“Our medical management strategy is, part and parcel, very much a pharmaceutical management strategy and we look to integrate the...

More from United States

Double Duty At US FDA: Tidmarsh Will Temporarily Lead Both CDER And CBER

 

Just a week and a half into his tenure at the agency, the new CDER Director George Tidmarsh was also tapped to serve as acting head of CBER. Prasad’s swift ouster at CBER may point to a softening in cell and gene therapy regulation but could also portend even more scrutiny on vaccines.

Big PBM Dominance Enabled By Affiliated Third Party Administrators Limiting Choices, FTC Told

 
• By 

Complaints about TPAs offer an explanation of why self-funded employers continue to use the big three PBMs despite concerns about those relationships. Proposed solutions include banning retaliatory fees and data withholding.

Repurposed Generics For Rare Diseases: Janet Woodcock Proposes Shortcut

 
• By 

A Duke-Margolis working group is developing ideas to enable non-profit firms to seek US FDA approval for new indications for off-patent medicines. The former acting commissioner thinks citizen petitions might be the fastest route.

NDA User Fees Will Grow 8.6% Next Year As FDA Projects More Applications But Fewer Sponsor Meetings

 

The ups – and some downs – of the US FDA’s prescription, biosimilar, and generic user fees for FY 2026 are tabulated by the Pink Sheet.

More from North America

Vinay Prasad Out At US FDA

 

The removal of CBER Director Prasad comes after a wave of right-wing backlash to his appointment over the past few days that was also critical of his decision to ask Sarepta to suspend all sales of the DMD gene therapy Elevidys. FDA reversed its decision the day before Parsad's departure.

Merck, AstraZeneca Downplay Impact of European Tariffs Despite Timing Uncertainties

 
• By 

Meanwhile, companies continue discussions with the Trump Administration over ways of increasing what European nations pay for drugs as an alternative to imposing a Most Favored Nation drug pricing policy in the US.

EU 15% Tariff Deal Still Leaves Questions For Pharma On Possible Grace Period, Generic Exemption

 

While the 15% rate is a substantial blow for pharmaceutical firms, the US-EU deal provides a framework for trade agreements with other countries that could see the industry avoiding higher tariffs elsewhere.