NEWS_DIABETES

“The news is somewhat surprising given

the recent FDA Drug Safety Communication
around potential amputation risk with Invokana”

MARKET ACCESS amputation was found in only one of 12

JOHNSON & JOHNSON IS BIG WINNER

studies of the drug, and data regarding
amputations have not been collected

IN CVS DIABETES FORMULARY CHANGES

CVS HEALTH said it would remove Eli Lil-
ly’s diabetes drug Jardiance from its 2018
formulary in favor of Johnson & Johnson’s
Invokana. Both drugs are SGLT2 inhib-
itors, an add-on class of diabetes drugs
typically used in conjunction with insulin.
Thomas Seck, VP of clinical develop-
ment and medical affairs in primary care
for Boehringer Ingelheim, said in a state-
ment the company is “very disappointed”
with the decision.
The change was announced as a part
of the pharmacy benefit manager’s 2018
formulary strategy. It comes three months
after the FDA slapped Invokana with a
black box warning for an increased risk of
amputations. Jardiance has not been found
to increase the risk of amputations, nor
does it come with a black box warning.
A CVS Health spokesperson said its
systematically in trials of Jardiance.”
Analysts think sales of SGLT2 inhibitors
will rise, largely due to new outcomes data
showing these drugs reduce the risk of heart
attack and stroke. Adults with diabetes are
twice as likely to die from heart attack or
stroke compared to those without.
Still, in an investor note, Credit Suisse
analyst Vamil Divan wrote the switch caught
some off guard. “The news is somewhat
surprising to us given the recent FDA Drug
Safety Communication around potential
amputation risk with Invokana.” More-
over, he noted Jardiance still has a “better,
more differentiated label going forward.”
Divan added the move is indicative of
“the pressures payers can apply in diabetes
and other primary-care markets where
there are many competitors.”
CVS Health independent advisory board Invokana sales fell 26% in Q2 2017
is adding of pharmacists and physicians to $256 million, compared to Q2 2016.
Invokana made the decision. She down- Sales of Jardiance jumped 157% in the
to its 2018
formulary played the risk of Invokana, same period to $103 million, versus $40
noting “the increased risk of million in Q2 last year. — Kevin McCaffrey

MOVE TO MOBILE betes drugs, while Roche markets blood

DRUGMAKERS TEAM glucose meters and provides diabetes-

specific data management programs.

UP WITH MOBILE Novo’s app, which debuted July 12, is

part of its broader Cornerstones4Care

STARTUPS TO BOOST program. It allows patients to track their

meals, activities, and blood glucose and also

PATIENT ENGAGEMENT syncs with their personal diabetes moni-

IN THE SPAN of one month
this summer, Roche acquired
mySugr, a mobile diabetes
management platform, while
Novo Nordisk announced a
diabetes management mobile
app in partnership with Glooko.
The deals signal ongoing in-
terest among diabetes drug and
device makers to partner with
digital-health startups to bet-
ter engage patients and mine
valuable real-world evidence.
Novo Nordisk is one of the
pre-eminent marketers of dia-
toring devices. The company’s partnership
with Glooko was announced in January.
“The vision is to provide a solution that
can help patients better manage their dis-
ease in a proactive way,” said David Moore,
SVP of marketing at Novo Nordisk.
IBM Watson Health will analyze the
information collected. “Our partnership
with IBM Watson will allow us to under-
stand this data and give us a database
of real world outcomes and real-world
effectiveness,” he said, noting it will also
inform decision-making going forward.
Roche’s acquisition of mySugr on June
30 netted the Swiss drugmaker a mobile
app that specializes in diabetes. MySugr
lets users capture information about their
Novo meals, activity, and blood sugar levels,
Nordisk’s and also provides an overview of their
diabetes recent activity. It will become a part of the
app lets
users track company’s diabetes management platform,
activities, known as Roche Diabetes Care.
meals, As of May, mySugr reported it has
and blood more than one million global users.
glucose
Roland Diggelmann, CEO of Roche
Diagnostics, said in a release the deal will
allow the drugmaker “to offer seamlessly
accessible patient solutions within an open
platform to better respond to the unmet
needs of people with diabetes.” — KM

12 SEPTEMBER 2017 mmm-online.com

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