Three Hot Topics at AHIP 2022
From drug pricing to health equity to digital therapeutics, the healthcare industry had a lot to talk about at this year’s America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) conference, held June 21-23 in Las Vegas—the first in-person AHIP event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the keynote speakers, panel sessions and individual presentations covered a […]
Why Oncology Manufacturers Need a Clinical Pathway Strategy
As a society, we have made great strides in improving cancer care and outcomes in recent years. There are now more treatment options across more tumor types than ever before. There are targeted therapies designed for specific genetic mutations, which carry fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy and lead to higher rates of remission and […]
Manufacturers and the Mental Health Crisis: How Data and Education Can Improve Patient Access
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), nearly one in five U.S. adults (approximately 52 million) live with some form of mental illness. Unfortunately, those struggling with a mental health disorder often aren’t getting the treatment they need, and when undertreated, can have considerable economic impact on national healthcare budgets due to the cost […]
PBM GPOs: An Uncertain Shift
While vertical integration and consolidation within the U.S. health system has been a steady trend over the years, now we’re seeing it go even further with the creation of pharmacy benefit manager group purchasing organizations (PBM GPOs), which create yet another tollgate requiring payment in the drug therapy supply chain. Approximately 80% of all prescription […]
PrEP Therapy Can End the HIV Epidemic, but Equitable Access Is Key
Amid a global pandemic that has been the foreground of thought and development in medicine the past two years, another epidemic has been lingering for decades: HIV and AIDS were first recorded in the early 1980s, and their presence has grown exponentially over the last 40 years. In that time, HIV has fostered significant innovations […]
The Evolution of Patient Assistance Programs
It’s no secret that copay maximizer and accumulator programs have come under fire since their inception, and for good reason: In theory, these programs aim to help manage costs, but oftentimes accumulators can end up shifting the cost of medications to patients while maximizers can shift the cost of care from the patient to the […]
As We Head Into 2022, Here’s What’s Ahead for Market Access
While COVID-19 has left no industry untouched, it’s safe to say that healthcare has been hit the hardest. Yet despite this reality, there are plenty of exciting advancements happening within the industry, even amid the lingering effects of the global pandemic. To get an idea of what’s to come in market access, I asked four […]
Market Access Speed Is the Next Critical Differentiator for Pharma Manufacturers
Over the past decade, the life sciences industry has undergone transformative change that has disrupted everything from early drug discovery to post-launch treatment monitoring. Driven by the proliferation of real-world data (RWD) and technology like AI and machine learning, these innovations are changing our understanding of drug value and enabling life-saving medications to get into […]
FDA Updates to JAK Inhibitors: How Are Payers Reacting, and What Do Pharma Companies Need to Know?
After the FDA called for additional warning labels on anti-inflammatory drugs known as JAK inhibitors this September, pharma companies in the immunology space have been waiting with bated breath to see how payers will react to this news. Will insurers start requiring step-edits or prior authorization? Will payers alter their management strategies for rheumatoid arthritis […]
Pathway or Perish: The Two-Pronged Hurdle to Ensuring Access in Oncology
While payers’ formulary decisions can make or break a drug’s success, manufacturers within oncology face an additional obstacle to gaining market access: clinical pathways, or guidelines that determine which treatments and procedures should be prescribed along the patient journey. While pathways were developed to help standardize treatment and ensure quality care, oftentimes they limit physicians’ […]