Power Alley — Coming Polar Vortex Edition: New Januvia® Price Decrease.

As of the new year, Merck has "voluntarily" reduced prices on Januvia by an additional ~42%, according to Stat. My use of air quotes (and the legacy graphic at right) serves to remind readers that Merck has agreed to accept the pricing the federal agencies offered in the last round of negotiations on the drug.

And as Stat points out, the added reduction will more closely align the out of pocket / co-pay consimers experience, compared to other diabetes treatment regimens. [Candidly, I highly doubt this signals any Novo type event, despite the Stat prognostications.]

In any event, here's that news update -- as I await my flight out of Sky Harbor:

. . .The start of the new year is traditionally a time when many drugmakers raise the price of their treatments, and this year, companies did just that with at least 250 medicines. But Merck stood out by cutting the list price of its diabetes drug Januvia by 42%. . . .

Now you know. And (sadly), back into a polar vortex arriving in the City of Big Shoulders, by Sunday evening. Yuck!

नमस्ते