The epic battle between drug makers and the insurers and pharmacy benefit managers that pay for their medicines just opened a fascinating new front.
Amgen Inc.'s earnings report Thursday afternoon was largely overshadowed by its announcement that its cholesterol-lowering drug Repatha succeeded in a clinical trial designed to prove it helps prevent heart attacks and other cardiovascular events.But this isn’t yet enough to ensure widespread payer and patient acceptance of the drug, given its $14,000 annual cost.
