The combination of Medco’s market-leading specialty drug pharmacy unit, Accredo, with Express Scripts’ specialty businesses would create a dominant player controlling more than 52% of the market, based on research by Pembroke Consulting.

The proposed merger of two of the three major pharmacy benefit managers may have tough time clearing FTC; the agency has rejected other deals that would have left only two dominant players in a sector.

Boehringer expects Jardiance’s new chronic kidney disease indication to keep its sales growing by double-digit percentages over the coming years, aided by the drug’s ability to reduce hospitalizations.