Bipartisan concern over cost of aducanumab could prompt CMS, Congress to act
CMS could limit access to Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug or negotiate lower price
A day after Biogen and Eisai said in a statement that they are “committed to engaging with CMS on innovative price and access agreements” for aducanumab, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) called for a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee to discuss the “vexing new questions and challenges” the drug poses for Medicare and other health programs.
CMS, which is expected to shoulder most of the cost for Alzheimer’s therapies in the U.S., has remained silent about Aduhelm aducanumab. It could seek to limit coverage through a national coverage determination, or enter into a pricing agreement for the drug, possibly as a pilot program through the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI). Alternatively, the Biden administration could seek legislation giving CMS new tools to negotiate pricing. ...