CVS Ducks Defunct Hospital’s Federal Drug-Pricing ‘Tying’ Claims

A judge granted CVS Health Corp. and its subsidiary Wellpartner LLC their motion to dismiss a case claiming the pharmacy giant unlawfully suppressed access to drug price discounts realized through a federal program.

Brandywine Hospital’s tying claims were “legally insufficient,” Judge Mia R. Perez of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said in a ruling docketed Wednesday that dismissed the case with prejudice.

She held that Brandywine, which closed in 2022, excluded all other pharmacies that could also contract under the federal 340B drug pricing program, which is designed to provide discounts to health-care providers that ...