During the recent AHIP Institute Conference in Nashville, TN, several value-creating initiatives in health care were discussed including personized medicine and the work of Elizabeth Holmes, founder and CEO of Theranos, in lowering the costs for lab tests. Find out more here. (Source: Susan Dentzer, […]
What Should Pharmaceutical Drugs Really Cost?
The Drug Abacus is a new online tool developed by Dr. Bach and his colleagues at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which was developed to determine what a drug's "true" price should be. How does it work? Learn more here. (Source: Whitney McKnight, PM360, 9/10/15) […]
PSCK9 Drugs Extraordinary Value or Extraordinarily Overpriced?
The makers of the two recently approved PSCK9 cholesterol-lowering drugs played up their products' "significant" value to high-risk patients after a non-profit group this week concluded the products are significantly overpriced and unaffordable to health plans. Subscription required to read more. […]
Why are Oncologists Worried About Clinical Pathway Usage?
The use of clinical pathways has become more widespread and studies have shown they can heavily cut costs without negatively affecting outcomes. So why are some oncologists against it? Read more here. (Source: Journal of Clinical Pathways, 9-11-15) […]
17 Drugs Cut as U.K. Struggles With Costly Cancer Drugs
A recent announcement from the UK's National Health Service (NHS) to stop paying for 17 cancer medicines, has sparked outrage among pharmaceutical companies and advocacy groups. Read more on how the UK and other countries are struggling to pay for expensive new cancer drugs here. (Source: Amy […]
Sanders to Fight Out of Control Drug Prices
United States Senator and democratic presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, is seeking real change in the world of pharmaceutical pricing. Though lacking support from PhRMA, the industry's lobbying group, Sanders' proposed policies seem to be right in line with recent clinician and public opinion […]
ICER Draft Report for PCSK9 Inhibitors Posted for Public Comment
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) recently released a new draft report, PCSK9 Inhibitor Therapies for High Cholesterol: Effectiveness, Value, and Value-Based Price Benchmarks. The report includes a comprehensive review of currently available evidence on newly approved PCSK9 […]
Cost of New PCSK9 Inhibitors May Overwhelm Patients and Payers
A new class of injectable cholesterol-lowering drugs, PCSK9 inhibitors, are good news for patients who are unresponsive to statins, but their current price. How will payers make this work? Read more here. (Source: Tracey Walker, Managed Healthcare Executive, 9/2/15) […]
Will New Heart Failure Drug Find a Price That Works for Payers?
Novartis' new heart failure drug, Entresto has been fast-tracked thru the FDA, but FDA approval isn't everything. Entresto has been quoted at $12.50/day compared to $10/three months for current ACE inhibitors. Will Novartis be able to find a price payers will be happy with? Read more here. (Source: […]
Can U.S. Senator Sanders Put the Brakes on Rising Drug Prices?
U.S. Senator, Bernie Sanders has proposed new legislation, The Prescription Drug Affordability Act of 2015, to rein in run away pricing of pharmaceuticals in the United States. More details on Sanders proposal here. (Source: Phil Taylor, PMLiVE, 9/3/15) […]
ISPOR Looking to Fill New Chief Science Officer Position
The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) recently announced the creation of a new scientific staff position, Sr. Director & Chief Science Officer. Further details on the position and application details are available here. (Source: ISPOR, 2015) […]
What is Value Based Medicine Without Values?
Value is the new buzz word in healthcare, with new laws and policy all talking about value. But what is value really? What is the difference between value and values? Questions that need to be answered before the rising costs for oncology drugs inevitably pit social interests against those of the […]
Guidelines Call for More Transparency on Hepatitis C Drug Costs
Updated guidelines from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the International Antiviral Society -USA attempt to provide an overview of hepatitis C virus treatments, including cost comparisons. Learn more here, login required. […]
Will Biosimilars Bring Savings to Employers?
A recent white paper by Milliman made some projections on the cost savings to employers from biosimilar. Will employers see substantial savings? Read more here. (Source: First Report Managed Care, 8/28/15) […]
Medicare ACOs Show Difficulty Slowing Spending
Medicare recently released 2014 results for 353 accountable care organizations (ACOs), finding 3 out of 4 failed to slow health spending enough to earn bonuses. Read more here. (Source: Melanie Evans, Modern Healthcare, 8/25/15) […]
Insurers Empower Members with Improved Price Transparency Tools
According to a new issue brief from America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), more insurers are launching transparency initiatives to engage their members in making more informed choices about their healthcare. See here for three ways to make your initiative more meaningful and beneficial to members. […]
How Could the Cadillac Tax Affect Your Employer’s Health Plan?
Hari Sreenivasan and Brian Marcotte, CEO of the National Business Group on Health, discuss to Cadillac Plan Tax and why a growing number of U.S. employers are more tightly managing employees' use of prescription drugs next year. Read more here. (Source: WJCT, 8/17/15) […]
Does the FDA Know How to Say NO?
The U.S. FDA is showing an unprecedented record at approving pharmaceuticals. So what's the story - are they doing their job better? or not well enough? Read more here. (Source: Matthew Herper, Forbes, 8/20/15) […]
Massachusetts Breaks New Ground with State-Level Price Caps
Massachusetts lawmakers are proposing new legislation regarding disclosures about pharma's pricing decisions and could actually lead to price caps on specialty medications. Find out more here. (Source: Tracy Staton, FiercePharma, 8/13/15) […]
Springer Retracts 64 Fake Peer Review Papers
One of the world's largest academic publishers, Springer, recently retracted 64 articles in the latest "fake peer review" episode. Who was behind these rigged reviews and how long has it been going on? Learn more here. (Source: Sarah Kaplan, The Washington Post, 8/18/15) […]
Is the Current Pharmaceutical Pricing Model Coming to an End in the U.S.?
Dramatic changes in bringing drugs to market are forcing pharmaceutical companies to look at new strategies for survival. Are the times of super-high prices coming to an end? See more here. (Source: David Sell, philly.com, 8/11/15) […]
How is Medicare Part D Saving Lives?
The University of Illinois at Urbana recently added new research to the growing body of literature finding a mortality reduction in the elderly following the implementation of Medicare Part D. Learn more about key findings here. (Source: Andrew Powaleny, PhRMA, 8/24/15) […]
Why are Biosimilars Lacking Support in the U.S.?
Biosimilar development in the U.S. has been lagging significantly behind the rest of the world. Why are physicians and patient advocacy groups not supporting biosimilars? Read more here. (Source: Kathleen P. Wolff, First Report Managed Care, July 2015) […]
CMTP Recommends Coverage for NGS Panels in Oncology
The Center for Medical Technology Policy (CMTP) recently released initial health insurance coverage guidelines for Next Generation Sequencing based testing in oncology. Learn more about the initial draft NGS coverage guidelines, now available for public comment, here. (Source: PR Newswire, 8/17/15) […]
Which Drugs Made it on Express Scripts’ 2016 Formulary?
Express Scripts, the largest U.S. pharmacy benefits manager, has released its 2016 formulary outlining which drugs will be covered, and which will not. Who made the cut, and how did they decide? Find out here. (Source: Nicole Gray, BioPharmaDive, 8/6/15) […]
How Will New FDA Guidance Change Orphan Drug Development?
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released draft guidance aimed at helping drug makers with common issues encountered in the development of drugs to treat rare diseases. Find out more here. (Source: Michael Mezher, RAPS, 8/17/15) […]
Express Scripts Rx Spending Report Card
Express Scripts Holding Company recently released new data showing public exchange participants spent less money on medications in the first quarter of 2015 than the first quarter of 2014, with 42% of all Rx spending coming from specialty medications. Read more about other findings here. (Source: […]
Is a Graduate Degree Right for You?
In the HEOR field, advanced degrees are very common, but is it a right choice for you? Would there be an increase in pay? Would it be enough? What are your options as far as degrees or programs? HealthEconomics.Com wants to help you sort thru the details and find the best options to get you where […]
Avella Specialty Pharmacy Makes the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies List Again
Avella Specialty Pharmacy has been named to the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies List for the ninth straight year in a row, ranking at #2605. See more here. (Source: Avella Specialty Pharmacy, 8/12/15) […]
Will Pharmaceutical Pricing Legislation Help or Hinder?
A new Massachusetts bill seeks to reign in pharmaceutical costs with a first-in-the-nation cap on prices. Will this new legislation help fix the problem, or just dig a bigger hole? More here. (Source: Robert Weisman, The Boston Globe, 8/10/15) […]
