Medicare to publish drugs targeted for pricing negotiations in September
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Wednesday plans to publish the list of drugs subject to pricing negotiations in September before implementing the program in 2026. 
The provision introduced as part of the Inflation Reduction Act last year permits Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary to negotiate prices for Part B and Part D drugs covered under Medicare for the first time ever.
"Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, we finally have the authority to get American families the lower prescription drug costs they deserve," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra noted.
Key dates of the program include September 01, 2023, when the CMS will publish the first 10 Medicare Part D drugs selected for negotiations.
The agency will then announce the negotiated maximum prices for these drugs by September 01, 2024, before the pricing takes effect from January 01, 2026.
During the subsequent years, CMS will add 15 more Part D drugs, 15 more Part B or Part D drugs, and 20 more Part B or Part D drugs for negotiations to implement their revised prices in 2027, 2028, and each year after that, respectively. 
According to Bank of America, Bristol Myers' (NYSE:BMY) Eliquis, Johnson & Johnson's (NYSE:JNJ) Xarelto, Merck's (NYSE:MRK) anti-diabetic medication Januvia and AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) blood cancer therapy Imbruvica will be subject to Medicare negotiations.
Citing Medicare spending in 2020, the firm listed Merck's (MRK) cancer drug Keytruda, Regeneron's (REGN) eye disease therapy Eylea, and Amgen's (AMGN) osteoporosis injection Prolia as potential candidates for negotiations.
The analysis indicated that immune therapies Opdivo and Rituxan, marketed by Bristol Myers (BMY) and Roche (OTCQX:RHHBY) (OTCQX:RHHBF), respectively, could also be targeted for drug pricing negotiations.