Asembia 2026 Recap: Focus on Affordability
More than 10,000 attendees visited Las Vegas last week for Asembia’s ASX26 Summit. Along with meeting with clients and hosting the Specialty Pharmacy Patient Choice Awards, MMIT representatives attended many excellent sessions on the state of the industry. In one session after another, patients’ ability to afford and access their medication was front and center. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Alternative Funding Programs: Short-Term Savings, Long-Term Consequences
The use of alternative funding programs (AFP) has been on the rise in recent years, in keeping with the growing number of self-funded employer health plans. Run by for-profit vendors, AFPs are a relatively new type of specialty carve-out program meant to save employers money by removing certain high-cost medications from their formularies. Instead of […]
The Cost of Reform: What Payers Expect from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
In July 2025, the 2025 Federal Budget Reconciliation bill, known colloquially as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and officially as H.R.1, was signed into law. This act introduced major, immediate reforms to Medicaid, adding new administrative requirements and eligibility conditions (including work requirements) for patients seeking to enroll in or maintain Medicaid coverage. […]
Impact of the New Administration on Vaccine Policy and Access
Manufacturers should be prepared for a period of uncertainty and potential disruption in vaccine policy. The recent overhaul of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) signals a shift that could affect vaccine recommendations, public trust, and payer coverage decisions. After Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as the new secretary of the […]
Contextualizing Market Access: How Advisors Bridge the Knowledge Gap
For pharma companies, securing favorable coverage for a new asset is far more complicated than it used to be. Indications are more competitive, and the market is full of specialized niche therapies for smaller patient populations. While market access data has never been easy to parse, we’ve seen an evolution in the amount and type […]
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 […]
Asembia Trends: IRA Operationalization and the Future of Specialty Therapies
At the end of April, more than 8,000 attendees visited Las Vegas for the Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit, otherwise known as AXS25. If you missed the conference, here’s an overview of some of the key areas covered this year: Keeping an Eye on Government Policies AXS25 featured quite a few presentations on the impact of the […]
Patient Access Barriers in 2025 and Beyond
The landscape of patient access has become increasingly complex, intensified by evolving channel dynamics, greater biosimilar investment, and legislative reform. As payers evolve their utilization management tactics, manufacturers must also become more sophisticated in their access strategies. To explore these topics, MMIT and The Dedham Group conducted the second annual State of Patient Access Survey […]