The news: The FTC sued the three largest US pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) over rigging pharma supply chain competition in their favor, resulting in artificially inflated insulin prices for some patients.
- The complaint is filed against CVS Health’s Caremark, Cigna’s Express Scripts, and UnitedHealth’s Optum Rx, which together administer about 80% of prescriptions in the US, per the FTC.
- The PBMs have refuted the FTC’s allegations. Express Scripts recently sued the FTC demanding a retraction of the agency’s July report criticizing PBMs’ business practices.