In the latest dust-up over prescription drug pricing, Johnson & Johnson filed a lawsuit accusing a behind-the-scenes company of exploiting a financial assistance program that is designed to help patients afford out-of-pocket costs for some of its most expensive medications.
The health care giant alleged the company, called SaveOnSP, devised a scheme that caused it to pay at least $100 million more in copayment assistance than it would have otherwise. The J&J program, which is called Janssen CarePath, attempts to help patients pay for 44 medicines, many of which are prescribed for treating cancer or auto-immune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis.