Cigna(US:CI) Zhi Tong Cai Jing·2025-11-07 13:32Core Viewpoint - A new analysis reveals that Quallent Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Cigna (CI.US), has higher drug prices compared to many competitors, raising questions about the company's role in drug pricing [1][2][3] Group 1: Pricing Analysis - Quallent Pharmaceuticals often prices its generic drugs higher than competitors, with prices sometimes being 33 times more than the cheapest alternatives [3] - The average price of Quallent's products exceeds the highest prices by 80%, indicating that they are not the lowest-priced options in the market [3] - The analysis by 46brooklyn Research highlights that Quallent's pricing strategy may contribute to higher costs for health plans and pharmacy benefit managers [5] Group 2: Company Operations - Quallent does not manufacture drugs but labels and prices products made by other companies, which raises concerns about transparency in pricing [2][4] - Cigna's Evernorth Health Services, which manages drug benefits, disputes the findings of 46brooklyn, claiming the analysis distorts the pricing and sales methods of generics [2] - Quallent's president argues that the company seeks high-quality, reasonably priced drugs, suggesting that lower-priced generics may compromise safety or quality [4] Group 3: Market Context - The analysis sheds light on the relationship between drug sales companies and pharmacy benefit managers, with major healthcare groups establishing their own drug sales companies [3] - The pricing of drugs is influenced by complex benchmarks, and higher average wholesale prices (AWP) can lead to increased costs for health plans [5] - Critics argue that self-branded drug companies can manipulate patient choices by prioritizing their own products on preferred drug lists [4]