Drug Industry Daily quoted Manatt's Ian Spatz, a senior advisor in the firm's Healthcare Division, on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) plan to force makers of antidepressants and immunosuppressants to compete for inclusion on Medicare Part D formularies, which it hopes will compel drug makers to lower prices.
As reported by Drug Industry Daily, the drugs are currently covered by "protected class" designation, but CMS released its proposal on Monday to remove the protection.
Should the rule become final, Part D plan sponsors will have greater leverage when seeking discounts on those drugs during coverage negotiations, said Spatz. The rule would go into effect Jan. 1, 2015.
Read the article here.