FTC targets insulin, threatening to go after PBM-pharma deals that steer into 'commercial bribery'
The Federal Trade Commission voted unanimously yesterday (5-0) to adopt a new policy specifically targeting rising insulin prices, but also putting drug companies and the PBM middlemen on notice that paying rebates and fees to exclude cheaper generics can violate competition and consumer protection laws.
The FTC cites insulin as “one prominent example of a prescription drug impacted by high rebates and fees to PBMs and other intermediaries,” as a year’s supply of insulin has risen to nearly $6,000, with out-of-pocket costs averaging $1,288 for uninsured patients and $613 for insured patients as of 2017. And those numbers have only gone up in the five years since.
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