Federal Trade Commission accuses three drug middlemen of inflating insulin prices

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has alleged that three pharmaceutical middlemen manipulated the insulin market, leading to artificially high prices. The middlemen, known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), play a key role in the distribution of prescription drugs in the United States. They negotiate with pharmaceutical companies on behalf of insurers and employers, and their role is to keep drug prices down.

According to the FTC’s complaint, the PBMs involved – named as Express Scripts, OptumRx, and CVS Care