Mallinckrodt's pain med Ofirmev gets scrutiny in Senate—but this pricing probe has a twist

Fierce Pharma ------ Mallinckrodt critics usually zero in on its expensive H.P. Acthar Gel and years of price hikes, but that doesn’t mean controversy doesn’t lurk elsewhere in its portfolio. Ofirmev, for example, an injectable form of acetaminophen used by hospitals, is the latest investigative target of Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. This time, however, the investigation isn’t so cut-and-dried. In a letter to CEO Mark Trudeau, McCaskill makes the usual demands for information about pricing and revenue numbers. But she also suggests that Ofirmev, expensive as it may be, could actually be saving hospitals money on opioid complications—and cites documents from Mallinckrodt to that effect. Her letter, in short, implies that Mallinckrodt, based in McCaskill’s home state of Missouri, may be the good guy in this scenario, if her fact-finding mission proves the company’s case. To learn more click on the picture below to read the article.