Oct 2 (Reuters) – US drugmaker AbbVie said on Friday it would participate in a US government pilot program aimed at testing a new rebate system for discounted medicines.
Here are some details:
• The pilot will begin on January 1, 2027, under the government’s 340B program, which helps hospitals and clinics serving low-income patients buy medicines at a discount.
• Under the new model, eligible healthcare providers will submit claims through a platform called Beacon to obtain 340B pricing on AbbVie’s cancer drug Imbruvica, irritable bowel syndrome treatment Linzess and antipsychotic drug Vraylar.
• AbbVie said it would provide healthcare groups with free access to the system, as well as customer service and special assistance for providers facing operational difficulties.
• The rebate test will help improve pricing transparency and prevent duplicate discounts as new Medicare-negotiated drug prices take effect, the company said.
• AbbVie said it plans to work closely with federal health regulators and healthcare providers throughout the rollout.
• Besides AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Bristol Myers Squibb are among the companies approved for the federal pilot.
(Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
