Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was refreshing and relaxing, because that oh-so-familiar routine of meetings, deadlines, and what-not has predictably returned. There are various clues to this development: Notably, the short people have left for the local schoolhouse and gainful employment, respectively. This leaves us to brew a cup or more of stimulation, and we invite you to join us as you brace yourself for the day ahead. On that note, we hope you survive. Meanwhile, here are some tidbits. Keep in touch …
OptumRx, a pharmacy benefit manager owned by UnitedHealth (UNH), has included new migraine drugs from Amgen (AMGN) and Eli Lilly (LLY) as preferred treatments on its formularies of reimbursed medicines, Reuters reports. A rival migraine treatment from Teva Pharmaceutical (TEVA) is excluded on one list and patients can pay more for it in some cases on a second list. The decision secures easier access to customers for the Lilly drug at all three of the biggest PBMs — including CVS and Express Scripts — and gives Amgen a leg up after CVS decided not to include it on its formulary.
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