- The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) announced yesterday that it intends to pay for the experimental Alzheimer’s drug, Leqembi, that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has to date declined to cover. The decision by VHA stands in contrast with Medicare, which has declined to cover the treatment except in very limited circumstances. Leqembi received accelerated approval from the FDA earlier this year after data suggested that it could slow the progression of the disease; however, Medicare administrators said they need to evaluate more data before deciding whether to change coverage guidelines for the drug and others in its class. (Articles here, here, and here)
- Novo Nordisk announced today that it will lower the U.S. list price of some of its insulin products by up to 75 percent. The change will take effect on January 1, 2024, and follows a similar move by Eli Lilly, which said this month that it will lower the list price for several of its products, including Humalog, by 70 percent later this year. Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, along with the French drugmaker Sanofi, make up more than 90 percent of the insulin market in the United States. (Articles here, here, and here)