Why It Matters

Alkermes has hired Monument Advocacy to lobby on Medicare and Medicaid issues, adding an outside firm to the pharmaceutical company's longstanding federal advocacy on health care coverage and reimbursement.

The company has pursued these policy areas extensively, with Medicare and Medicaid appearing repeatedly in its federal lobbying disclosures. The company is represented by Joel White, a partner and head of health practice at Monument Advocacy.

By the Numbers

Monument Advocacy filed Alkermes' new client registration on Aug. 13. Joel White is registered to represent Alkermes on Medicare and Medicaid issues.

White has previously worked with health care-focused clients including U.S. Renal Care Inc., McKesson Corp. and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, lobbying on issues including drug pricing, Medicare reimbursement and health care interoperability.

Alkermes also maintains an extensive in-house lobbying operation. Pete Norman serves as senior vice president of policy and government relations, and Zack Marshall serves as government affairs and policy director. Alkermes reported more than $1 million in federal lobbying expenses during the first quarter alone.

Broader Context

The Medicare and Medicaid debate is particularly consequential for Alkermes because government health programs affect coverage and reimbursement for prescription drugs. Alkermes manufactures Vivitrol, an extended-release injectable form of naltrexone used to treat opioid and alcohol dependence, as well as psychiatric drugs including Aristada and Lybalvi. Alkermes itself has warned investors that reductions in Medicaid funding and changes to Medicare drug pricing could affect coverage, reimbursement and its business.

Access to opioid use disorder treatment remains a significant issue in correctional settings. Federal research indicates that substance use disorders are highly prevalent among incarcerated populations and that access to medications for opioid use disorder remains limited.

Fewer than half of U.S. jails provide medications for opioid use disorder. The three FDA-approved medications used to treat opioid use disorder are methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone, the active ingredient in Vivitrol.

In May 2019, a federal court ruled that a Maine jail's refusal to provide a woman with prescribed buprenorphine likely violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, an important development in the broader debate over access to medication for opioid use disorder in correctional facilities.

The Bottom Line

Alkermes' engagement with Monument Advocacy continues the company's sustained focus on Medicare and Medicaid policy while adding outside lobbying capacity to an already substantial in-house government affairs operation.

The new registration does not disclose a specific bill or policy proposal, so the precise objective of Monument's work remains unclear. But Medicare and Medicaid policy has direct implications for Alkermes as the administration and Congress consider changes affecting prescription drug pricing, reimbursement and Medicaid spending.

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