Microbiome & Disease, Prime Therapeutics Antitrust Loss, and RPM Efficacy

Hey all,

Happy Monday! I’ve been really interested in the microbiome so I’m interested in reading the original research Eric Topol’s post summarizes. Enjoy the rundown!

Jacob Brody (Co-Founder & CEO, ZorroRX)

(Eric Topol on Substack) How Our Gut Microbiome Can Drive Health and Disease

This article explores how the gut microbiome significantly influences both health and disease, with a growing body of research highlighting its role in immune regulation, metabolism, and neurological function. Eric Topol discusses recent studies that link gut microbes to conditions like obesity, depression, and even responses to medications, emphasizing the potential for microbiome-targeted therapies to revolutionize medicine. Understanding these connections underscores the importance of nurturing a healthy gut through diet, lifestyle, and emerging interventions. Full Article

(Fierce Healthcare) AIDS Organization Wins $10M Antitrust Ruling Against Prime Therapeutics 

An AIDS healthcare organization secured a $10 million antitrust victory against Prime Therapeutics after accusing the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) of anti-competitive practices that restricted patient access to medications. The ruling detailed how Prime and Express Scripts collaborated through weekly meetings and monthly reports to enforce pricing restrictions, replacing Prime’s pharmacy price concession incentive program with Express Scripts direct and indirect reimbursement program in Medicare Part D. This strategy aimed to reduce network pharmacy compensation by an additional 9%, saving Prime $2.5 billion by limiting reimbursements to pharmacies. Full Article

(Longyear Health on Substack) National Trends in the Implementation of RPM Care Models

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) saw rapid growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, with RPM claims increasing more than fourfold in 2020, though this expansion was concentrated among a small group of providers, with 0.1% of doctors accounting for 69% of all claims. Studies reveal mixed results: while RPM reduced hospital admissions in nearly half of the studies reviewed, its targeting often failed to prioritize patients who would benefit most, and cost-effectiveness remains a challenge. For example, RPM improved hypertension outcomes by reducing emergency visits and enhancing medication adherence but increased primary care visits and overall spending per patient. These findings suggest RPM has potential but requires more focused implementation to balance outcomes and costs effectively. Full Article