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☆ Walgreens to help bring cell and gene therapies to patients as it expands specialty pharmacy services
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Walgreens on Thursday said it will start to work directly with drugmakers to bring cell and gene therapies to U.S. patients as part of a broader expansion of its specialty pharmacy services. The company said it is launching a new business unit dedicated to its specialty pharmacy segment, which will include specialty pharmacy subsidiary AllianceRx. Meanwhile, Shields Health Solutions, a subsidiary that supports health system-owned specialty pharmacies, will remain under Walgreens's U.S. health-care division. Specialty pharmacies provide medications that require extreme care in handling, storage and distribution. Among the company's new investments to "transform" its specialty pharmacy services, it will open a newly licensed facility in Pittsburgh dedicated to services for cell and gene therapies.

Persons: drugmakers Organizations: Walgreens, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Shields Health Solutions, Walgreens's Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Pittsburgh

CVS, which owns health insurer Aetna, on Wednesday slashed its full-year profit outlook, citing the potential for higher medical costs to bite into its profits. Last month, Humana said it saw an even bigger jump in medical costs in the fourth quarter. Higher medical costs may be a larger problem for Humana than they are for CVS and other insurers. They added that there is no other part of Humana's business that could meaningfully dampen the hit from higher medical costs on the insurance side. Another insurance giant that has been seeing higher medical costs, UnitedHealth Group, also has large health-care services and pharmacy operations that diversify its earnings streams.

Persons: Humana Organizations: CVS, Aetna, Medicare, Elevance, Humana, UBS, UnitedHealth

☆ Here's why it's time to buy 'dividend aristocrats,' says Wolfe Research
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Next year could be the year for certain dividend stocks, according to Wolfe Research. The S & P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index is composed of companies that have increased dividends for at least 25 consecutive years. Here are some of the names in the S & P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index. For investors who prefer funds, they can also get exposure through the ProShares S & P 500 Dividend Aristocrats exchange-traded fund. NOBL YTD mountain ProShares S & P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF — CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting.

Persons: Chris Senyek, Senyek, Wolfe, Roz Brewer, Tim Wentworth, Wentworth, Medtronic, Michael Bloom Organizations: Wolfe Research, Federal, Materials, Walgreens, Shields Health, —

People walk by a CVS pharmacy store in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies CVS Health Corp FollowNov 1 (Reuters) - CVS Health Corp (CVS.N) beat Wall Street estimates for quarterly profit on Wednesday as strength in its drugstores and pharmacy benefit management business offset higher-than-expected medical costs at its insurance unit. CVS' medical benefit ratio, or the percentage of claims paid compared to premiums collected, was 85.7% in the third quarter, compared with analysts' estimates of 85.1%. CVS' pharmacy and consumer wellness segment recorded 6% revenue growth to $28.87 billion, boosted by higher drug prices and prescription volume. The company reported an adjusted profit of $2.21 per share, beating estimates of $2.13 per share, according to LSEG data.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Julie Utterback, Mariam Sunny, Leroy Leo, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: REUTERS, CVS Health, CVS Health Corp, CVS, Morningstar, PBMs, Revenue, Walgreens, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City , New York, U.S, United States, Bengaluru

☆ Walgreens names veteran health-care executive Tim Wentworth as next CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Bertha Coombs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Walgreens Boots Alliance has chosen veteran health care executive Tim Wentworth as the company's new chief executive. Wentworth is the former CEO of the nation's largest pharmacy benefits management company, Express Scripts, which was acquired by Cigna in 2018. He stayed on and served as chief of Cigna's health services, before retiring at the of 2021. Under Brewer's tenure, Walgreens took a major stake in primary care provider VillageMD, acquired specialty pharmacy provider Shields Health, as well as homecare provider CareCentrix. Trying to integrate and scale the businesses has pressured Walgreens' earnings.

Persons: Tim Wentworth, Wentworth, it's, Roz Brewer Organizations: Walgreens, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Express, Cigna, CNBC, Shields Health Locations: Hollywood , California, CareCentrix

☆ Blue Shield of California drops CVS, taps Amazon and others to lower drug costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

CVS Health logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. Blue Shield, whose health plans cover 4.8 million members, said it will now work with five different companies, including Mark Cuban's drug company, to provide "convenient, transparent access to medications while lowering costs." Privately held Abarca will pay prescription drug claims, while Prime Therapeutics will work with Blue Shield to negotiate savings with drugmakers, the company said. Blue Shield will also work with CVS Caremark for specialty pharmacy services. The loss of the Blue Shield pharmacy benefit management contract is another blow to Caremark, which is also set to lose the contract to manage Centene's (CNC.N) $40 billion annual pharmacy needs from next year.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, UnitedHealth, Mark Cuban's, Paul Markovich, Mark, Manas Mishra, Mariam Sunny, Bhanvi, Shweta Agarwal, Pooja Desai Organizations: CVS, REUTERS, Blue, Cigna, UnitedHealth, Pharmacy, Wall Street, Mark Cuban, Plus, Thomson Locations: Blue, Bengaluru

☆ CVS stock plunges after Blue Shield of California drops retailer's pharmacy services to save on drug costs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of CVS Health plunged 9% on Thursday after Blue Shield of California said it will drop the company's pharmacy benefit management services and instead partner with Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drug Company and Amazon Pharmacy to save on drug costs for its nearly 5 million members. Blue Shield will now work with five different companies to provide "convenient, transparent access to medications while lowering costs." Blue Shield CEO Paul Markovich said the plan, which is scheduled to fully launch in 2025, could save the company up to $500 million annually. Cuban's Cost Plus Drug Company will provide access to low-cost medications through retail pharmacies. Blue Shield will retain CVS Caremark for its specialty pharmacy services, which provide specialized therapies and counseling to patients suffering from complex disorders.

Persons: Mark Cuban's, Caremark, Paul Markovich, Michael DeAngelis, Centene Organizations: CVS Health, Drug Company, Amazon Pharmacy, UnitedHealth, CVS, Abarca, Blue, CNBC Locations: New York, California

Blue Shield of California will no longer use CVS Health’s Caremark as its pharmacy benefit manager and instead will partner with several companies, including Amazon Pharmacy and Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. They have come under fire from other players in the health care industry and from Congress because of their opaque practices. Most adults take at least one prescription drug annually, while more than a third take at least three, Blue Shield said, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. CVS Caremark will continue to work with Blue Shield, providing specialty pharmacy services for members with complex conditions. The company bought online pharmacy PillPack in 2018, launched its own Amazon Pharmacy in 2020 and last year created a virtual health care clinic.

Persons: ” Paul Markovich, Mark Organizations: New, New York CNN, CVS, Amazon Pharmacy, Cuban, Plus Drug Company, Pharmacy, Blue, for Disease Control, ”, Mark Cuban, Plus, CVS Health, Amazon Locations: New York, California

☆ Blue Shield California drops CVS; picks Amazon, others to lower drug price
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CVS Health logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. Non-profit health plan provider Blue Shield, which has 4.8 million members, said it will work with partners including Amazon.com and Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drug Company to provide at-home delivery and access to low-cost medications. Privately held Abarca will pay prescription drug claims, while Prime Therapeutics will work with Blue Shield to negotiate savings with drugmakers, the company said. Blue Shield will also work with CVS Caremark for specialty pharmacy services. The loss of Blue Shield marks another blow to Caremark, which is also set to lose the contract to manage Centene's (CNC.N) $40 billion annual pharmacy needs from next year.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Cuban's, Privately, Manas Mishra, Mariam Sunny, Bhanvi, Shweta Agarwal, Pooja Desai Organizations: CVS, REUTERS, Wall Street Journal, Cigna, UnitedHealth, Company, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ These 10 medications are likely targets for Medicare price negotiations this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Though it is still unclear which 10 drugs Medicare will select, several pharmaceutical companies have already revealed in court filings that they expect four of their blockbuster medications to be targeted. Bristol-Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson , in separate filings, said their blood thinners Eliquis and Xarelto will be subject to the negotiations this year. The list price of Januvia has surged 275% since 2006, according to the AARP. Johnson & Johnson reported $2.47 billion in revenue from Xarelto. "More and more people face cost-sharing that is directly affected by drug price increases," Leigh Purvis, who analyzes health-care costs for AARP, told reporters on a call Thursday.

Persons: Daniel Acker, Merck, Johnson, Abbvie, Imbruvica, Jardiance, Boehringer Ingelheim, Amgen Symbicort, Pfizer Xtandi, Breo, Biden, Januvia, Eliquis, Xarelto, Leigh Purvis Organizations: Merck, Co, Inc, Bloomberg, Getty, Medicare, Services, Myers Squibb, Johnson, Pharmacy, AstraZeneca Ibrance, Pfizer, Astellas Pharma, GSK, AARP, Bristol Myers Squibb, Jama Network, Industry Locations: Bristol, U.S, Januvia, Xarelto

☆ Drugmakers aim to strike down Medicare drug-price negotiations at Supreme Court
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

And Bristol Myers Squibb is trying protect its blood thinner Eliquis, which brought in $11.8 billion in sales last year, or about 25% of the company's $46 billion total revenue for 2022. Long legal battle aheadMerck, the chamber and Bristol Myers Squibb filed their lawsuits ahead of two key deadlines. Bristol Myers Squibb did not either. If circuit court decisions on the matter contradict one another, the Supreme Court would step in to decide the issue, Bagby said. Bristol Myers Squibb made an identical argument in its complaint.

Persons: Richard A, Gonzalez, Pascal Soriot, Giovanni Caforio, Jennifer Taubert, Johnson, Kenneth C, Frazier, Albert Bourla, Olivier Brandicourt, Win Mcnamee, Drugmaker Merck, Drugmaker, Bristol Myers Squibb, PhRMA, Eli Lilly, Merck, Bristol Myers, Robin Feldman, Nicholas Bagley, Bagley, Gretchen Whitmer, Chris Meekins, Raymond James, Antonin Scalia, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, Meekins, Long, Xavier Becerra, Randolph Daniel Moss, Barack Obama, Judge Thomas M, Rose, George W, Bush, Kelly Bagby, Bagby, Amgen, Donald Trump, Karine Jean, Pierre, Biden, Jean, we'll, Becerra, Feldman Organizations: Senate, AbbVie Inc, AstraZeneca, Myers Squibb Co, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Johnson, Merck & Co, Inc, Pfizer, Sanofi, Getty, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, Bristol Myers Squibb, Washington , D.C, Southern, Southern District of, Democratic Party, U.S, Merck, Bristol, Pharmaceutical Research, Manufacturers of America, CNBC, Medicare, University of California College of, Justice Department, Michigan Gov, Bristol Myers, Human Services, Centers, Services, AARP Foundation, HHS, AARP, Specialty Pharmacy, Reuters, Supreme, Appeals, Democratic, U.S . Sixth, Republican, Third, White Locations: America, Washington , DC, Bristol, U.S, Washington ,, Southern District, Southern District of Ohio, New Jersey, Commerce's Dayton , Ohio, San Francisco

☆ Beware these debt-heavy stocks in your portfolio as borrowing costs rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

That leaves companies with high debt, accustomed to low financing costs, facing refinancing risks, Evercore ISI analyst Julian Emanuel said. Here are some of the names Evercore ISI said could be hurt by a material change in borrowing and business conditions. Carvana's short-term debt is 20.4% of its total debt and its net debt to equity is 503.6%. Meanwhile, Duke Energy 's short-term debt is 10.9% of its total debt and its net debt to equity is 107.3%, according to Evercore ISI. Lastly, Walgreens Boots Alliance 's short-term debt is 17.1% of its total debt and its net debt to equity is 115.2%.

☆ These are Wall Street's favorite defensive stocks as the market's early momentum this year wanes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

However, defensive stocks are likely to better withstand a market downturn given their strong balance sheet and consistent revenue stream. With that in mind, CNBC Pro looked for Wall Street's favorite defense stocks. At least 60% of the analysts covering the stock rate it a buy, per FactSet. Visa and Mastercard have more than 70% of the analysts covering the stocks rating them a buy. The stock has 17% upside to the average analyst price target and 68% of analysts covering it rate the name a buy.

☆ Health insurer Elevance's strategy is coming into focus as it goes head-to-head with giants UnitedHealth and CVS
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elevance Health, the major US health insurer formerly called Anthem, said Monday that it plans to acquire Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana in a rare merger between two Blue-affiliated health insurers. It's possible that if the merger goes through, the Louisiana Blue could flip to using Elevance's PBM. While competitors like UnitedHealth, CVS, and Humana are pushing deeper into delivering primary care, Elevance has focused on owning businesses that serve people with serious and chronic illnesses. Carelon's strategy has been to sell its services to both Elevance's own health plans and other Blue-affiliated insurers. Carelon brought in almost $41 billion in revenue in 2022, and 60% of that came from Elevance's own health plans, Boudreaux said Wednesday.

☆ Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) Q1 earnings 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Walgreens Boots Alliance on Thursday reported fiscal first quarter earnings beat Wall Street's estimates Thursday after an early flu season boosted demand for cough and cold medicine. The company said it also raised its full-year revenue outlook due in part to its U.S. health care segment's just-sealed acquisition of Summit Health. The company is in the process of acquiring CareCentrix, which coordinates home care for patients after they're discharged from the hospital, and Shields Health Solutions, a specialty pharmacy company. The acquisition led Walgreens to increase its full year sales guidance to $133.5 billion to $137.5 billion. The company is also maintaining its full-year earnings per share guidance of $4.45 to $4.65, compared to estimates of $4.50.

☆ Walgreens beats sales expectations, as it expands its health-care business
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Walgreens Boots Alliance on Thursday exceeded fiscal fourth quarter sales and earnings expectations, as the drugstore chain turns itself into a more health-care focused company. At the end of the quarter, Walgreens had a total of 334 doctor offices with VillageMD. Covid vaccines, which boosted Walgreens' sales and foot traffic, have fallen off significantly. It had fourth quarter sales of $5.1 billion, a drop of 6.6% from the year-ago period. Its U.S. digital sales growth grew 14% in the fourth quarter, on top of an 82% increase in the year-ago period.

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