American College of Rheumatology Applauds Additional Drugs Included in Second Round of Medicare Drug Price Negotiations

ATLANTA – The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) applauded the announcement of additional drugs subject to pricing negotiations with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This second round includes nintedanib (Ofev) and apremilast (Otezla), which are used to treat common and rare rheumatologic conditions.

“Excessive drug costs often create a financial burden for patients, forcing some to choose to delay treatment or abandon care if they can’t cover the expenses. Skipping medication doses or forgoing treatment can worsen their conditions and cause irreversible harm,” said Carol Langford, MD, MHS, president of the ACR. “Given these risks, we applaud CMS’ initiative to make essential medications more affordable and accessible. While more work remains to reduce patient costs, we see drug pricing negotiations as an important advancement toward expanding access to care and improving management of rheumatic diseases.”

Media Contact
Monica McDonald
mmcdonald@rheumatology.org

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About the American College of Rheumatology
Founded in 1934, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is a not-for-profit, professional association committed to advancing the specialty of rheumatology that serves nearly 10,000 physicians, health professionals, researchers and scientists worldwide. In doing so, the ACR offers education, research, advocacy and practice management support to help its members continue their innovative work and provide quality patient care. Rheumatology professionals are experts in the diagnosis, management and treatment of more than 100 different types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases.