This is the specialty pharmacy version of “who moved my cheese.” In news that is surprising to no one, hospital affiliated specialty pharmacies don’t like vertically integrated payers and their affiliated SPs getting in the way of revenues (sorry, patient care), through white bagging. We wonder if those same payers and their SPs see it differently?
read full article ›Although limited in scope (and arguably impact), Express Scripts has joined the trend to reduce patient out-of-pocket expenses at the pharmacy counter. But before taking a victory lap, one big question remains - how do we reduce the financial burden for the other 98%?
read full article ›A wake up call for manufacturers - regardless of your opinion of ICER there is an indisputable truth outlined in this research - that drug coverage and market access are NOT the same thing.
read full article ›With the holidays right around the corner, ICER has published its 2020 naughty list. Not surprising to anyone familiar with the autoimmune category, Humira makes the list for a third year in a row. How much of the net price increase was driven by an expected entry of biosimilar HUM in 2023 and how much can/will be corrected after that market event remains to be seen. But make no mistake, ICER is making their list and checking it twice…
read full article ›Prediabetes is a serious health condition affecting more than 1 in 3 U.S. adults - that's 88 million people - but most people don't know they have it. People who have prediabetes have a 50% chance of developing diabetes over the next 5 to 10 years.
read full article ›In the first physical meeting for many of us, a well-attended AVBCC saw Day 1 panelists — payers, oncology groups, pharmas — virtually universally predict that now-rare oncology VBAs between payers and pharmas will dramatically multiply within the next two years, specifically in cell/gene therapy and PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies.
read full article ›Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. It is estimated that 5% of adults suffer from depression. But despite the universal nature and magnitude of mental ill health, there are still serious gaps that exist in mental health care, with relatively few people around the world having access to quality mental health services.
read full article ›On a recent trip to Cambridge to visit clients (yes, we are happily doing that again), we were struck by Henri Termeer’s words and the realization of what Cambridge has become. More than just the cradle of biotech, Cambridge has become home to countless dreamers and doers focused on conquering rare genetic diseases and conditions long-thought incurable or untreatable.
read full article ›Study highlights some eye opening data around disparities and discrimination in healthcare delivery. To think of vulnerable patients facing such barriers to equitable care is distressing to say the least. Equally unconscionable is the idea that income and an inability to pay continues to represent such a barrier to equitable access. Solutions are long overdue to level the playing field in making healthcare access a right for all.
read full article ›Excited to see the innovation and leadership Prime Therapeutics and Pear Therapeutics are embodying to facilitate patient access to PDTs through well-partnered Value Based Agreements. Payers and manufacturers can hopefully follow a similar path to develop value based approaches that expand access to life changing treatments for patients.
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