A little-noticed change in how Medicare counts a drug's age pushed a costly AbbVie medicine out of price negotiation eligibility for an additional seven years, according to an investigative report released by the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. The current administration has proposed making the change permanent through a new rule.
The drug at the center of the analysis is Creon, a pancreatic enzyme replacement product used by people whose pancreas does not produce enough digestive enzymes, a condition common in cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis, and pancreatic cancer. Public Citizen reports that more than 185,000 Medicare beneficiaries used Creon in 2024, costing Medicare $1.49 billion in gross spending.
