Winning Payer Support for Rapid NGS Biomarker Testing in Oncology
Biomarker testing is a cornerstone of modern oncology, transforming how clinicians diagnose, stratify, and treat cancer. By identifying particular genetic, molecular, or protein characteristics in a patient’s tumor or blood sample, biomarker tests provide invaluable insights into disease behavior and a patient’s potential response to various therapies. In recent years, advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) […]
Finding Hidden Patient Populations With Unstructured Data
This article was originally published on Norstella’s website. As real-world data (RWD) evolves, the rise of unstructured data—from clinical notes to lab reports—is transforming how life sciences teams identify, understand, and engage with patients and providers. These data sources offer rich, contextual insights into patient experiences, disease progression, and physician decision-making that traditional structured datasets often miss. At […]
You Only Launch Once: Five Ways to Reduce Market Access Risk
For many manufacturers, the period between FDA submission and the PDUFA date feels deceptively quiet. Clinical work is largely complete, pricing assumptions have already been modeled, and commercial teams are waiting for the green light. But in reality, this pre-launch window is one of the most consequential phases of a brand’s lifecycle—and one of the […]
From Compliance to Strategy: How Payers Are Refining Their IRA Playbooks
When the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) first passed in late 2022, payers rushed to respond. On paper, the bill’s intentions were clear: this legislation sought to lower drug costs, reduce patients’ out‑of‑pocket burden, and empower Medicare to negotiate prices for the first time. In practice, however, the ripple effects have been far more complex for […]
Portfolio Contracting: The Power Move Reshaping Pharma Access
Portfolio contracting is quietly rewriting the rules of pharmaceutical market access. What began as a way to bundle a handful of related products has evolved into a defining access strategy that influences pricing, formulary positioning and competitive dynamics across therapeutic areas (TAs). Today, market success depends less on a single blockbuster drug than on how […]
Market Access in 2026: Predictions on DTC Programs, Biosimilars and GLP-1s
To better understand what 2026 might bring, we asked three MMIT market access experts to share their perspectives on upcoming market shifts. Read on for key insights into the year ahead (and don’t miss the first post in this two-part series.) 1. Patients are increasingly gravitating to direct-to-consumer platforms. What effects do you think these […]
Market Access in 2026: Predictions on Policies, Contracting and AI
To better understand what 2026 might bring, we asked three MMIT market access experts to share their perspectives on upcoming market shifts. Read the first of this two-part series for key insights into the year ahead. 1. What’s the biggest challenge for manufacturers launching new products this year? Steve Callahan, Senior Director, Advisory & Insights: […]
Copay Accumulators and Maximizers, Part 2: Implications for Pharma
Copay accumulator and maximizer programs are now firmly embedded in the commercial market, and their influence on patient access and manufacturer strategy is becoming impossible to overlook. In the first installment of our two-part series on copay accumulators and maximizers, we shared recent Indices research on how payers are deploying and measuring these programs. In […]
Inside the Payer Playbook: Copay Accumulators and Maximizers, Part 1
As payers continue to refine their cost-containment strategies, copay accumulator and copay maximizer programs have quietly become standard tools in their playbook. As of March 2025, 21 states have enacted laws banning payer/PBM use of copay accumulator programs for state-regulated health plans, including the individual, fully insured large-group, and small-group markets. Yet despite this legislation, […]
Faster Insights or Faster Fail? How to Avoid the Misuse of Real-World Data with AI
As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms how life sciences organizations access and analyze real-world data (RWD), one challenge looms large: ensuring that these powerful tools are used appropriately. RWD can illuminate patient outcomes, accelerate research, and guide better decision-making—but only when it’s handled ethically, transparently, and within the boundaries of contractual and regulatory use. Here are some ways to […]