HHS Scores Partial Win in Fight of Drugmakers’ Rebate Model (1)

A federal judge partly sided with HHS over its decision to not approve proposals from Bristol Myers Squibb Co., Novartis AG, Eli Lilly & Co., and Sanofi SA that would dramatically change how they discount medicines to providers that treat lower-income and uninsured patients.

Judge Dabney L. Friedrich of the US District Court for the District of Columbia ruled the US Health Resources and Services Administration didn’t act illegally when it denied bids from the drugmakers to discount medicines through a rebate model rather than up front to covered entities under the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program. ...