How Manufacturers Can Prepare for Impending Changes in PBM Incentives
This article was originally published in Pharmaceutical Executive on April 6, 2026. Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) sit at the center of an increasingly complex web of relationships among manufacturers, health insurers, pharmacies and employers. While they streamline negotiations between employers and pharmaceutical companies, increase price competition and standardize claims, formulary and utilization practices, they’ve recently […]
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 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: […]
Quantifying Value: Innovative Contracting for High-Cost Drugs
As high-cost specialty treatments become more common, manufacturers are turning to innovative contracting to boost coverage for their products. Many cell and gene therapies, orphan drugs, and oncology therapies are prohibitively expensive, with costs ranging from several hundred thousand to millions of dollars. Warranty-based agreements help mitigate the risk of paying for these therapies, as […]
Starting with the End in Mind: How Pharma Can Build a Smarter Path to Commercialization
This article was originally published in Drug Channels. To chart a clear path to commercialization, a manufacturer must begin with the end in mind. Early market research helps pharma companies understand which clinical endpoints and differentiators an asset will need to succeed at launch. Today, one-third of pharma companies start market access planning in Phase I, and […]
Push for Change in 340B Drug Pricing Program
As the 340B Drug Pricing Program continues to grow in size and importance, its operations are being scrutinized more than ever. Pharma manufacturers, who have long noted issues with this program, have made various attempts at reform. Their latest strategy — which would move away from up-front discounts to a rebate model — is currently […]
Selling the Script: The Introduction of Private Equity in Retail Pharmacy
Over the past decade, health systems have seen a rapid influx of private equity, with a six-fold increase in acquisitions totaling $10 trillion. As private equity firms continue to explore new methods of investment in health care, the recent announcement that Walgreens Boots Alliance will be acquired by Sycamore Partners seems to be a natural […]
How Copay Accumulators and Maximizers Affect Pharma PAPs
In a recent post on specialty carve-out mechanisms, we examined how payers’ use of specialty benefit managers and alternative funding programs can impact manufacturers’ patient assistance programs (PAPs). Today’s post takes a look at another managed care trend: the rise of copay accumulators and maximizers, also known as copay adjustment programs. In 2025, copay accumulator […]
Market Access Trends Impacting Your Patient Assistance Program
Payers tend to manage high-cost, high-complexity disease states quite differently than other indications. In recent years, payers’ growing reliance on managed care carveouts, in the form of specialty benefit managers (SBMs) and alternative funding programs (AFPs), has directly impacted pharma companies that offer patient assistance. This year, the downstream effects of the Inflation Reduction Act […]
Growth of Warranty-Based Contracts
As payers grapple with their ever-increasing spend on healthcare services, many are entering into various arrangements with pharma manufacturers to help mitigate their risk when paying for cell, gene and specialty therapies—which often have price tags ranging from several hundred thousand to millions of dollars. A warranty-based agreement is one approach that can benefit both […]