Market impact of new drug unknown
By HME News Staff
Updated Wed January 31, 2007
MARLBOROUGH, Mass. - One wild card for the neb-med market this year is Brovana, Sepracor's long-acting inhalant, which received FDA approval in October and is slated to launch April 1.
"We haven't had a new drug introduced since we went to the average sales price model," said Mickey Letson, president of Decatur, Ala.-based Letco. "It's unknown how that's going to be handled."
The drug is designed as a twice-a-day treatment, and it is expected to improve compliance rates. It has received favorable reviews throughout the industry, which believes the drug could provide a much-needed boost after a turbulent 2006.
The drug has yet to receive a HCPCS code, but Medicare is allowing it to be billed under J7669, said Letson.
The reimbursement for the drug is expected to fall in the $5 to $6 per dose range.
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