Mylan (NSDQ:MYL) recalled 81,000 EpiPen emergency allergy auto-injectors this week after receiving 2 reports that the device failed to work in emergencies. The recall affects devices in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Japan, the company reported. Canonsburg, Penn.-based Mylan said that in both cases, patients received treatment using an alternate EpiPen. The drugmaker also said that it […]
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
Senate confirms Verma to head CMS as debate intensifies over Obamacare replacement
The U.S. Senate voted yesterday 55-43 to confirm Seema Verma to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Verma is the founder & CEO of SVC Inc, a healthcare consulting firm, and worked with now-Vice President Mike Pence when he was governor of Indiana to redesign the state’s Medicaid program. Get the full story […]
CMS nominee Verma: Mylan’s EpiPen case ‘disturbing’
Seema Verma, the nominee to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, said at her confirmation hearing that she would like to review the way pharmaceutical companies classify products as generic or branded, citing the case of Mylan‘s (NSDQ:MYL) EpiPen emergency allergy device. Mylan faced criticism this year for classifying EpiPen as a generic and paying smaller rebates to Medicaid […]
Dexcom surges on Medicare nod for continuous glucose monitors
DexCom (NSDQ:DXCM) said yesterday that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid classified therapeutic continuous glucose monitors as durable medical equipment under Medicare Part B. The company’s Dexcom G5 Mobile is the only CGM system that falls under this classification, according to San Diego, Calif.-based DexCom, since patients can make treatment decisions using the device. DXCM […]
ClearLine wins CE Mark for intravenous line device
ClearLine MD said today that it won CE Mark approval for its ClearLine IV product line that prevents air from being introduced into intravenous lines. During IV infusion, ClearLine’s device detects air in the IV line using ultrasound and then removes the air to allow the fluid to flow continuously. Air embolisms can cause long-term clinical […]
Federal watchdog to investigate CMS drug rebate program
The Office of the Inspector General of the Health and Human Services Departments said last week that it will begin investigating whether the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services properly monitors its Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. The investigation comes after CMS reported that Mylan (NSDQ:MYL) underpaid Medicaid by not paying appropriate rebates. The Canonsburg, Penn.-based company said […]
CMS pinpoints cost-driving drugs in newly released data
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released 5 years of pricing data for a list of more than 5,000 drugs this week. The data illustrate that a handful of cost-driving drugs experienced price hikes in 2015, which cost taxpayers millions in added Medicare spending. The price of some drugs went up almost 500%, with name-brand […]
CMS acting chief Slavitt slams drug pricing
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services acting chief Andy Slavitt admonished pharma companies like Mylan (NSDQ:MYL) over unsustainable price increases before the Biopharma Congress in Washington D.C. last week. Mylan came under fire this year after reports showed that the Canonsburg, Penn.-based company raised the price of its emergency allergy epinephrine injector by 500% since it acquired the product in 2007 […]
EpiPen price hike cost Pentagon millions
Mylan Pharmaceuticals‘ (NSDQ:MYL) 500% price increase on its epinephrine auto-injector cost the U.S Defense Dept. millions, according to data provided to Reuters. The Pentagon spent $57 million on Mylan’s EpiPen last year, up from $9 million in 2008, largely driven by volume and price hikes that affected prescriptions filled at retail pharmacies. Although the Pentagon gets a government discount […]
Mylan settles EpiPen pricing probe with $465m
Mylan (NSDQ:MYL) last week agreed to pay $465 million to settle claims that it underpaid Medicaid for its EpiPen auto-injector by misclassifying the device as a generic. Last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said it spent $797 million on the emergency allergy treatment between 2011 and 2015, including rebates. The Canonsburg, Pa.-based company has […]
