by Jim Davis
Adverse Events
As we've stated over the past several weeks, AdverseEvents is not a fan of drug manufacturer and payer exclusivity deals. We believe strongly that they are not in the best interest of drug safety and set a dangerous precedent.
The veracity of our beliefs was demonstrated by the results revealed from the comparative safety research we conducted on Abbvie's ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir; dasabuvir (Viekira Pak) and Gilead's ledipasvir and sofosbuvir (Harvoni/Sovaldi). Viekira Pak's inferior safety profile confirmed that Express Scripts made the wrong decision to exclusively place it on its' National Preferred Formulary.
Since our initial comments on Express Scripts' and CVS' respective deals, most of the other big name payers have made similar arrangements. Here's the breakdown of who is covering what (publicly) as of Jan. 27, 2015:
If we take Prime out of the mix, that is 5-1 in favor of Harvoni/Sovaldi.
I guess we aren't the only ones that think Express Scripts made the wrong decision. Public drug safety and long term cost savings should always win out over short-term profits.
You can see our head-to-head comparison of the safety profiles of Harvoni, Sovaldi and Viekira Pak drugs here.
Related Read:
Did Express Scripts Choose the Right Hepatitis C Drug?
Jim Davis is executive vice president of Adverse Events. Adverse Events is a healthcare informatics company that improves patient safety and reduces systemic healthcare costs through the comprehensive analysis of postmarketing drug side effect data. AEI makes postmarketing drug safety data accessible, actionable, and predictable, providing services to enterprise markets including managed care organizations, the pharmaceutical industry, and financial institutions. www.adverseevents.com
Source-MEDPAGE TODAY
| Gilead's Harvoni / Sovaldi | Abbvie's Viekira Pak | Both Drugs |
| CVS Healthcare | Express Scripts | Prime Therapeutics |
| Humana | ||
| Aetna | ||
| Anthem | ||
| EnvisionRx |
If we take Prime out of the mix, that is 5-1 in favor of Harvoni/Sovaldi.
I guess we aren't the only ones that think Express Scripts made the wrong decision. Public drug safety and long term cost savings should always win out over short-term profits.
You can see our head-to-head comparison of the safety profiles of Harvoni, Sovaldi and Viekira Pak drugs here.
Related Read:
Did Express Scripts Choose the Right Hepatitis C Drug?
Jim Davis is executive vice president of Adverse Events. Adverse Events is a healthcare informatics company that improves patient safety and reduces systemic healthcare costs through the comprehensive analysis of postmarketing drug side effect data. AEI makes postmarketing drug safety data accessible, actionable, and predictable, providing services to enterprise markets including managed care organizations, the pharmaceutical industry, and financial institutions. www.adverseevents.com
Source-MEDPAGE TODAY
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