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FDA’s Gottlieb Eyes PBM Consolidation Impact on Generic Entry: CNBC

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters)—The head of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration Scott Gottlieb said on Wednesday that he was concerned about the impact of deals like the CVS Health purchase of Aetna Inc. on the ability of pharmaceutical companies to block the entry of cheaper copycat drugs.

As the pharmacy benefit managers and the drug supply chains consolidate, Gottlieb said, they are making it easier for pharmaceutical companies to block access to their drugs from the generic companies that are legally entitled to create cheaper copycat versions of the medicines.

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“We don’t have direct purview over it but we do have something to say about it and we’re going to be speaking to the PBMs about it,” Gottlieb said.

Cigna Corp. also agreed recently to buy pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts Holding Inc.

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