Eli Lilly funds lawsuit against CMS for limiting amyloid imaging

Kathy Mahdoubi | | Health Imaging | Molecular Imaging

Makers of F-18 florbetapir (Amyvid) are bankrolling a lawsuit against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which hampered coverage of amyloid imaging earlier this year as a means for ruling out Alzheimer’s disease. The lawsuit was filed in federal court Sept. 5, according to this Wall Street Journal report.

The CMS decision asserted that not enough evidence was available to warrant general coverage of the PET procedure, but without full coverage, WSJ analysts estimate that Lilly stands to gain $100 million in annual revenue. With greater coverage, that number could boom to $500 million. Lilly and other stakeholders claim that without full coverage, the real pathophysiology of cognitive decline will not be elucidated.

Amyvid was approved by the FDA in 2012 and is now one of three PET radiopharmaceuticals approved in the U.S. and Europe to aid in the evaluation of Alzheimer’s.

 

Lilly Backs Lawsuit Against CMS Over its Alzheimer’s Diagnostic Drug

Kathy Mahdoubi

Related Content

Researchers receive grant worth millions to develop portable PET scanner
Why is the US still dependent on foreign medical isotope production?
Downed high-flux reactor could restart sooner than anticipated
Some nuc med departments are already feeling the strain of the isotope shortage
NorthStar opens facility to assist with development and distribution of vital radioisotopes
Lizard saliva could be key to spotting elusive pancreatic tumors

Around the web

Cardiovascular Business
Positron partners with Upbeat Cardiology Solutions to improve cardiac PET/CT access

Positron, a New York-based nuclear imaging company, will now provide Upbeat Cardiology Solutions with advanced PET/CT systems and services. 

Cardiovascular Business
Global shortage of nuclear imaging isotopes may be over

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

Cardiovascular Business
‘A huge win’: CMS significantly increases Medicare payments for cardiac CT

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.