Andrew Melcher
Neurology · Metairie, LANPI 1205455631
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
Almost everything reported here is food and beverage — 96.9% of the total across 96 separate payments, which is the pattern of a clinician who attends manufacturer presentations rather than one with a consulting arrangement. 22 manufacturers reported payments, led by AbbVie at 27.0% of the total. That places this record below the midpoint for neurology clinicians in LA, where the typical reported total is $2,263.
Across 96 payments — averaging $25.68 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- AbbVie$666
- UCB, Inc.$437
- Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.$265
- Neurelis, Inc.$197
- AstraZeneca$168
- SK Life Science, Inc.$113
- plus $619 from 16 others
What the payments were for
- Food & beverage$2,38897%
- Education$773%
Most of this is food and beverage — typically meals provided during product presentations at a clinic or hospital. Nationally that is the single largest category of reported payments by count.
General payments by program year
Who reported the general payments
Companies are grouped under their corporate parent — a single manufacturer often files under several CMS reporting entities. Research and ownership payments are counted separately and are not in this table.
| Company | Payments | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AbbVie | 29 | $666 |
| UCB, Inc. | 16 | $437 |
| Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. | 4 | $265 |
| Neurelis, Inc. | 8 | $197 |
| AstraZeneca(2 entities) | 7 | $168 |
| SK Life Science, Inc. | 4 | $113 |
| Argenx US, Inc. | 4 | $105 |
| EMD Serono, Inc. | 4 | $75 |
| Pfizer | 3 | $58 |
| CSL Behring | 2 | $57 |
| Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. | 2 | $48 |
| Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd. | 2 | $38 |
| Amgen | 1 | $34 |
| Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | 1 | $34 |
| Biogen | 2 | $33 |
| Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. | 1 | $23 |
| Lundbeck LLC | 1 | $22 |
| Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC | 1 | $22 |
| Genentech USA, Inc. | 1 | $19 |
| Eisai Inc. | 1 | $18 |
| Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 1 | $17 |
| Johnson & Johnson | 1 | $17 |
What the payments were tied to
Products named in the reported payments. Only payments of $100 or more are attributed here — the typical reported payment nationally is a meal worth about $16, and listing those product-by-product would be noise.
How this compares
$2,465 in reported general payments places this provider in the 50th percentile of 225 neurology providers in Louisiana.
Most prescribed under Part D
| Drug | Claims | Cost to plans & patients |
|---|---|---|
| Nurtec OdtRimegepant Sulfate | 11 | $13,058 |
| Gabapentin | 25 | $656 |
| Levetiracetam | 31 | $551 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Companies that both paid and supply prescribed drugs
These companies both reported payments to this provider and make drugs the provider prescribed under Medicare Part D in 2024. For most specialties this overlap is expected — a cardiologist who is paid by a cardiology drugmaker also treats heart disease. It is shown so the reader can see it, not because it implies anything on its own.
| Company | Paid to this provider | Part D cost of their drugs |
|---|---|---|
| PfizerNurtec Odt | $58 | $13,05811 claims |
Reading this fairly. The Part D column is what drug plans and patients paid pharmacies — this provider received none of it, and it reflects how many patients they treat and what those drugs cost. Against peers, this provider's reported payments sit in the 50th percentile of 225 neurology providers in Louisiana.
Other neurology in Metairie
- Amy VoigtMetairie$127K
- Michael HappelMetairie$30K
- Enrique SeguraMetairie$13K
- Meghan HarrisShreveport$553K
- Kevin CallerameBaton Rouge$420K
- Gerald CaleganBaton Rouge$400K
- Maria Carmen WilsonCovington$295K
- John EnglandNew Orleans$268K
- Ariel Antezana AntezanaAlexandria$253K
- Brian CopelandNew Orleans$211K
Where these figures come from
- Payments: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019–2025 (publication P06302026_06032026).
- Identity: NPPES NPI Registry, July 2026.