Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc (TTNP)

[Doctor Detroit]

When insurers deny treatment for drug addiction

I didn't realize many insurers require prior authorization for every prescription of sublingual buprenorphine...all which would seem to direct patients towards a "hassle-free" implant. From the article...

A newly approved drug, Probuphine, an extended-release mix of buprenorphine and naloxone implanted into the skin (ensuring a patient gets treatment and the drug isn't resold on the black market), may be more readily covered by insurers.

“I’ve been in this business for more than 30 years and this is the first time insurance companies are calling us,” said Behshad Sheldon, CEO of Braeburn Pharmaceuticals, the maker of Probuphine.

Like most addiction treatments, Probuphine isn’t cheap. A six-month dose costs $4,950 and about 85 percent of patients will need to be on it for the rest of their lives.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2016/09/24/when-insurers-deny-treatment-drug-addiction/86176136/