Formulary Watch

Apr 5, 2024 | formularywatch.com | Briana Contreras

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals recently announced the process with the FDA and Health Canada to voluntarily discontinue the marketing for Relyvrio for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) based on phase 3 PHOENIX trial results. Approved in late September 2022, Relyvrio (sodium phenylbutyrate/taurursodiol) will no longer be available for new patients as of yesterday, according to an Amylyx news release.

Oct 27, 2023 | formularywatch.com | Patricia Weiser

It often takes a long time for private insurance companies to decide whether they will cover certain medications for cancer patients after FDA approval, according to a research letter published last week in JAMA Oncology. The study found lengthy but inconsistent “coverage lags” for oncology drugs, referring to the time between FDA approval and the establishment of coverage for the drug by payers. After the FDA approves a drug, patient access to it is largely controlled by private insurers.

Oct 20, 2023 | formularywatch.com | Patricia Weiser

Overweight or obese adults taking tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Eli Lilly) for weight loss experienced a significant reduction in body weight compared with those taking a placebo, according to a new phase 3 trial, SURMOUNT-3, published in Nature Medicine. On average, tirzepatide users saw a weight reduction of 18.4%, while those using a placebo lost 2.5%.

Oct 17, 2023 | formularywatch.com | Justina Petrullo

No difference was found in the safety profiles or immunogenicity rates in patients who were switched and those who stayed on a reference biologic or biosimilar, according to the first systematic review using statistical methods to address switching risk in patients between reference biologics and biosimilars in PLoS One.

Oct 13, 2023 | formularywatch.com | Patricia Weiser

HIV patients with medication adherence rates above 75% achieved similar rates of viral suppression as those with adherence rates above 90%, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Indiana University and Johns Hopkins. Thus, lower thresholds for evaluating pharmacy performance in medication adherence may be sufficient for achieving favorable real-world outcomes in HIV treatment.