Senior Product Analyst

Ohio Attorney General opposes bid by Cigna, Express Scripts to dismiss drug pricing antitrust claims. By CPI | May 31, 2026 Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has urged a federal judge to reject efforts by Cigna, its pharmacy benefit manager subsidiary Express Scripts, and Prime Therapeutics to dismiss a state antitrust lawsuit alleging prescription drug price-fixing. According to MLex, the state argues that the defendants are improperly relying on standards drawn from federal antitrust law, specifically the Sherman Act, to challenge claims brought under Ohio's own antitrust statute. Ohio contends that its state law provides an independent basis for pursuing the case and should not be evaluated under the same framework as federal antitrust claims. Per MLex, the attorney general told the court that the companies' dismissal request attempts to import federal legal requirements that do not apply to Ohio's antitrust laws. The state maintains that its claims should proceed because they are based on provisions of Ohio law that are broader than federal antitrust statutes. The dispute stems from a lawsuit accusing Express Scripts, Cigna, Prime Therapeutics and related entities of conspiring to inflate prescription drug prices through their pharmacy benefit management operations. Ohio alleges that the companies engaged in anticompetitive conduct that harmed consumers, employers and pharmacies by increasing the cost of medications. The state has previously argued that the defendants used a group purchasing organization, Ascent Health Services, to coordinate pricing and rebate negotiations with drug manufacturers. According to court filings and prior statements from the attorney general's office, Ohio claims the arrangement contributed to higher drug prices and reduced competition in the pharmaceutical supply chain. The litigation is part of a broader legal battle that began in 2023, when Ohio sued several pharmacy benefit managers and affiliated companies under the state's Valentine Act, Ohio's antitrust law. State officials have argued that the law reaches conduct that may not necessarily be covered by the Sherman Act, making federal antitrust precedents less relevant to the case. According to MLex, Ohio's latest filing emphasizes that the court should evaluate the allegations under state law rather than federal antitrust standards advanced by the defendants. The attorney general's office is seeking to keep the case moving forward as it pursues claims that the companies participated in unlawful conduct affecting prescription drug pricing in Ohio. FTC opens broad antitrust probe into fertilizer price surge affecting US farmers. By CPI | May 31, 2026 The Federal Trade Commission has launched a sweeping investigation into the sharp increase in fertilizer prices across the United States, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson announced Thursday during an agricultural event in Texas. Speaking to farmers gathered at a meeting organized by the Texas Corn Producers outside Dallas, Ferguson revealed that the agency had already initiated an industrywide antitrust inquiry aimed at understanding the factors behind escalating fertilizer costs. According to Bloomberg, the investigation focuses on a price surge that has significantly affected agricultural producers nationwide. "I'm announcing that, on my order, the commission some time ago commenced a major industrywide investigation into the precipitous rise of fertilizer prices in this country, which has affected so many of our nation's farmers, including everyone in this room," Ferguson said. "USDA data has shown the single largest increase in input costs of farmers across the United States since 2020 has come from fertilizer." The FTC chairman did not identify any specific companies as targets of the investigation. However, per Bloomberg, concerns have persisted for years over the highly concentrated nature of the fertilizer market, where a small number of companies dominate supply. Critics have argued that such concentration can create conditions that facilitate anticompetitive behavior, including potential price-fixing. Ferguson's remarks come as policymakers continue to examine rising costs throughout the agricultural sector. Fertilizer remains one of the largest expenses for farmers, and prices climbed earlier this year after attacks on Iran disrupted international trade routes for key crop nutrients. According to Bloomberg, the resulting market turmoil boosted earnings for some major fertilizer producers, including CF Industries Holdings and Nutrien, while other companies such as Mosaic faced pressure from rising costs for the chemical materials needed in production. The announcement also follows broader government efforts to address inflation and rising food prices. The White House has previously highlighted the financial challenges facing farmers and ranchers as part of its focus on reducing costs throughout the food supply chain. Federal scrutiny of the fertilizer industry extends beyond the FTC. Bloomberg previously reported that the Department of Justice is conducting both civil and criminal investigations into possible price collusion involving several leading commercial fertilizer manufacturers. Representatives for Mosaic, CF Industries, Nutrien, Koch and Norway-based Yara International did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding Ferguson's announcement. Ferguson indicated that federal oversight of agricultural markets will continue to expand. He said the FTC is working alongside the US Department of Agriculture to examine competitive conditions in additional segments of the agricultural economy. "Along with the Department of Agriculture, the FTC will be examining competition issues in other agriculture markets," Ferguson said. "You can expect joint actions from the department and the FTC very soon." Per MLex, federal authorities are already active in several agricultural sectors. The Justice Department is investigating pricing practices in cattle, egg and seed markets, while the FTC has brought legal actions against pesticide manufacturers over loyalty programs and against Deere & Co. concerning restrictions on equipment repairs.

Prime's creative and brand work receives industry recognition. Prime Therapeutics creative services team wins 12 platinum and eight gold marcom awards. After Prime Therapeutics (Prime) announced its bold new brand and purpose to reimagine pharmacy solutions last year, Prime continues to show up as a different kind of pharmacy benefit management (PBM), including through its award-winning visual identity and messaging. The brand identity work recently received sweeping recognition from the 2025 Marcom Awards, which recognizes excellence in marketing and communications, as well as from the 2025 Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) American Inhouse Design Awards, which showcases outstanding design work. "These awards speak to the importance of how Prime shows up in the marketplace," said David Mitchell, vice president, marketing. "It's critical that our marketing and creative work reflects our brand's purpose, vision and culture." "These recognitions are truly a collaborative win across our marketing department and throughout Prime as an enterprise," he added. "I am so grateful for my team's work bringing Prime's distinctive identity to life." Prime recently received 12 platinum and eight gold marcom Awards, which recognized Prime's industry-leading creative work. GDUSA American Inhouse Design Awards. Earlier this year, the Creative team also earned 10 Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) American Inhouse Design Awards. These awards recognized the compelling new brand look and feel that represented Prime's transformation in the marketplace. This year marks Prime's 12th year of recognition, with nearly 100 GDUSA awards won to date. * 2024 President's Awards * Pharmacy Summit Branding * Reimagining The Board of Directors Suite * The Prime Rebrand * Its Solutions: Save, Simplify, Support * Brand Anthem: Transformation * Specialty Summit Environmental Graphics * Pharmacy Friends Social Media * Reimagining Its Website * Prime Cares & Prime Foundation Branding

Prime Therapeutics expands Sempre Health partnership to rein in drug costs. The initiative has generated $4.7 million in member savings since its inception. Pharmacy benefit manager Prime Therapeutics is expanding its partnership with Sempre Health, a company that applies discounts at the pharmacy counter for people taking single-source drugs for chronic conditions. The initiative, focusing on expanding access to behavior-based medications, is meant to give clients new ways to help their commercial members save money and stay on therapy. Recent data from Prime's client, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, shows positive results from the model. Since launching in 2022, the program has enrolled more than 19,500 patients, supported over 70,000 prescription fills and generated $4.7 million in member savings. The initiative also achieved a Net Promoter Score of 98 and increased medication adherence by 15 percentage points, according to Prime. "The outcomes with Blue Cross NC and Sempre show exactly why we invest in initiatives like this: to make healthcare more affordable, improve adherence and support healthier lives," said Christopher Saliba, vice president of Enterprise Solutions at Prime. The companies will be expanding the model nationwide. Prime shared data from KFF showing that nearly 30% of Americans skip prescriptions due to cost, driving an estimated $290 billion in avoidable medical expenses each year. Sempre's behavior-based pricing model rewards healthy behaviors like timely refills and sustained adherence through partnerships with health plans, life science companies and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), including Prime. "Too many people are forced to choose between paying their bills and filling their prescription," said Anurati Mathur, CEO of Sempre Health. "Our work with Prime Therapeutics means that millions of people can stay on their life-saving medications without financial strain. We're thrilled to scale this impact nationwide." Prime Therapeutics is one of the largest PBMs in the country, with about a 10.3% market share, according to American Hospital Association data published last fall. Along with CVS Health (with a 21.3% market share), OptumRx (20.8%) and Express Scripts (17.1%), the country's four largest PBMs control roughly 70% of the national market. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a lawsuit against Express Scripts and Prime Therapeutics in May, claiming the two pharmacy benefit managers allegedly engaged in anticompetitive conduct that harmed independent pharmacies in the state. According to the lawsuit, the PBMs allegedly formed an unlawful agreement that suppressed reimbursement rates to independent pharmacies, enabling them to pull in profits at the expense of independent pharmacies. Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News. Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.