Express Scripts champions $1 per pill access to an alternative for Daraprim

2 December 2015

US pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts (Nasdaq: ESRX) yesterday announced it will partner with Imprimis Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: IMMY) to drive access to a low-cost alternative to Daraprim (pyrimethamine), a drug for the treatment of toxoplasmosis that has been recently priced out of reach for people with HIV, pregnant women and others with weakened immune systems.

Imprimis is offering a compounded oral formulation of pyrimethamine and leucovorin (a form of folic acid) for $1 per capsule for people whose pharmacy benefit is managed by Express Scripts. While the 62-year-old Daraprim was priced $13.50 per pill earlier this year, its new owner, Turing Pharmaceuticals, made the decision in September to increase the price to $750 per pill. However, just last week, privately held Swiss drugmaker Turing announced plans to offer the drug at a significant price cut for US hospitals (The Pharma Letter November 26).

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