Legislators in Washington and Hawaii have introduced bills aimed at drug price increases by pharmaceutical companies. Should these bills be passed, price increases without sufficient clinical evidence would bring large penalties upon the pharma companies. These bills, among others aimed at limiting […]
Aetna Return to ACA Exchanges Reflects Industry-Wide Trend Amid COVID-19 Relief Package Boost
The Aetna insurance division of the CVS Health Corp. will return to the ACA (Affordable Care Act) exchanges in 2022. Experts see the move as a sign that the individual insurance market is becoming increasingly appealing for payers. This Aetna move is expected to be one of many similar shifts in the […]
A Discussion with Paul Perreault of CSL Limited on COVID-19
Paul Perreault is CEO and Managing Director of CSL Limited, a top three global biotech company. He was invited to share his insights regarding COVID-19 and how his company has been able to adjust to the pandemic. CSL helped to establish the CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance to develop immune therapies and […]
Will ‘All of Us’ Bring Positive Change to Research?
“All of Us” is the $1.5 billion initiative led by the federal government with the purpose of collecting health data from diverse backgrounds. It’s considered as an important step forward in precision medicine—for all backgrounds. At the same time, it may also have far-reaching impacts in driving […]
Google Reveals Care Studio Tool for Providers
Google has piloted a new search tool for electronic medical records called Care Studio. In the trial phase, around 250 clinicians will be able to use it. The tool will allow providers to save time when sorting through patient records. Over a year ago, Google attempted a partnership with the hospital […]
IBM’s Watson AI Technology Falls Short of Potential
A decade ago, IBM (International Business Machine Corporation) used its AI (artificial intelligence) technology system termed Watson to beat people in the show “Jeopardy!” This showcase led to much speculation on the use of AI in other sectors, especially healthcare. Now, IBM is considering selling […]
NBER Releases Cost-Sharing Report: Drug Price Increases Associated With Increased Mortality
The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) has released a report on how cost-sharing affects patient care. The authors found that a price increase of approximately $10.40 per drug leads to a 22.6 % decrease in use of prescription drugs. The price increase also corresponds to a significant […]
Datavant Seeks to Improve Data Sharing
Datavant seeks to streamline data sharing across platforms while maintaining privacy. Datavant has recently announced partnerships with specialty hub providers, including IntegriChain, PRECISIONxtract, and EVERSANA. Unlike other platforms, Datavant provides extensive patient data, without disclosing […]
Epidemiologists Build COVID-19 Data Platform—With Help From Google
Epidemiologists Build COVID-19 Data Platform—With Help From Google
In January of 2020, Samuel Scarpino, director of the Emergent Epidemics Lab at Northeastern University, started inputting data in a globally-shared worksheet. This worksheet was the basis for a new website: Global.health. Anonymized records of five million COVID-19 cases from more than 100 countries […]
CDC Introduces VaccineFinder
In an effort to provide the public with information regarding COVID-19 vaccine availability, the CDC has released VaccineFinder, an online tool that allows users to find a COVID-19 vaccine close to their zip code. Users can select either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, check availability, […]
Republicans Criticize Biden’s Health Secretary Pick
Biden’s pick for health secretary, Xavier Becerra, currently serving as attorney general in California, has not been welcomed by Republican Senators. The main criticism centers around his stance on pharma: Becerra isn’t supportive enough. “The attack on Xavier Becerra, California’s attorney […]
Aetion Vice President of Growth and Strategic Partnerships Discusses RWE
Ian Rentsch recently became Vice President of Growth and Strategic Partnerships at Aetion. He previously held roles in clinical research and development and in global RWD (real world data) companies. In a recent discussion, he offers his opinions regarding the state of RWE (real world evidence) and […]
[Workshop] RWE in Regulatory Decision-Making Processes
A recent workshop focusing on RWE (real world evidence) explored the role in observational studies in determining drug effectiveness and in seeking FDA approval. Speakers discuss challenges in using RWE and how to identify and address gaps in knowledge. The two-day online workshop took place in […]
[Webinar] RWE in Drug Development
Dr. Nicolle Gatto of Aetion, along with leaders from Sanofi and Janssen, will discuss the use of RWE (real world evidence) by their companies in a webinar hosted by Maire Gerrard of Informa Pharma Intelligence. The webinar will take place on March 10th at 10 AM ET. The invitees will discuss […]
Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on SDoH
COVID-19 has wreaked havoc across countless sectors and populations and has also deepened the social determinant risk. A new eBook explores food insecurity, barriers to education, and inequities in nursing homes. It also discusses attempts at correcting these factors by the government and the […]
Panalgo Releases RWD Benchmarking Report
Healthcare analytics company Panalgo released its 2021 State of Healthcare Analytics Benchmarking Report, featuring insight into the use of RWD (real world data). The report was based on an in-depth survey on how life sciences companies utilize RWD by Fierce Pharma. The authors also discuss barriers […]
Icon Acquires PRA Health Sciences for $12 Billion
The use of decentralized trials has surged during COVID-19. CRO (contract research organization) Icon is set to acquire PRA Health Sciences. This will bring big changes to CROs and Icon is expected to direct anincreasing number of decentralized trials. “Icon, the Dublin-based CRO, will acquire […]
Reference Pricing Could Negatively Affect Vulnerable Populations
Some countries use QALYs (Quality-Adjusted Life Years) to assess whether or not to use a treatment or prescription drug. The authors note this approach would bring negative consequences for people with chronic illness, people with disabilities, and older individuals in the United […]
Webinar on Providing Meaningful Price Transparency Information
In order to comply with recent rulings, many organizations are sharing large amounts of data. However, not all data is necessary or even desired. Join this webinar to hear more about what consumers want to know—and what they don’t. Alison Greco of HealthSparq will share her insights. The webinar […]
Using RWE to Make Cost Decisions: A New Report
A recent article, published in JMCP (the Journal of Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy), considers how RWE (real world evidence) can be utilized when making economic decisions. ICER (the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review) has incorporated RWE in making its recommendations, but few other […]
Payer Engagement Summit Videos on RWD Now Available
ISPOR held its first Payer Engagement Summit in 2020 to discuss the issues facing payers worldwide. The Summit featured discussions regarding the use of RWD (real world data). Payers face unique challenges when considering the use of RWD. Invited speakers included Fran Cunningham of the US […]
COVID-19 CARE Registry Provides Informative Data
Dr. Nancy Dreyer is the Chief Scientific Officer of IQVIA Real World Solutions. In a recent interview led by Dr. Patti Peeples, CEO of HealthEconomics.Com and Vice President of Evidence and Content at Scientist.com, the scientists discussed how IQVIA has taken on COVID-19. The CARE (COVID Active […]
Syapse Invests $68 Million in Expanding RWE to Improve Outcomes for Cancer Patients
Leading RWE (real world evidence) company Syapse has invested $68 million in a venture with Ally Bridge Group and Northpond Ventures. Syapse will expand its Learning Health Network. The overall goal is to improve outcomes for oncology patients. Additional goals are to reduce costs and to enhance […]
Telehealth Brings Change to Traditional Clinical Visit—and Billing
The start of the COVID-19 pandemic brought many changes to the conventional doctor’s visit. A report by McKinsey found that telehealth adoption rose from 11% to now 46%. Healthcare providers are seeing between 50 and 175 times the patients via telehealth. Continuous remote patient monitoring makes […]
What Does the FDA Think About RWE?
A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of RWE in clinical study design is becoming more widespread. In a recent informative dialogue, Dr. Nancy Dreyer of IQVIA spoke with Dr. Amy Abernethy of the FDA regarding the different types of data included under the RWE umbrella. Dr. Abernethy provides […]
As Pandemic Slows, Will Pfizer Increase Vaccine Price?
Pfizer is charging the United States $19.50 per dose of its new vaccine to prevent COVID-19. Pfizer CFO Frank D’Amelio considers this “pandemic pricing.” He notes that a typical price for a vaccine produced by Pfizer is around $150 to $175. He expects the price for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to rise […]
Upcoming Webinar on COVID-19 Therapeutics and Vaccines
An upcoming webinar will review the data behind treatments for COVID-19, as well as vaccines that have received FDA emergency use approval. There are currently several treatments that are being evaluated by the FDA. This will be an informative event for many audiences, especially pharmacists in […]
Good News: RWE Shows Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines
A recent study examines how the vaccines produced by Moderna and Pfizer might protect against COVID-19. RWE (real world evidence) shows that these vaccines are broadly effective—both in preventing infection and reducing incidence of serious disease. The Pfizer vaccine is 95% effective and the […]
Importing Prescription Drugs: What Does Biden Think?
According to former President Trump and current President Biden, Americans should be able to buy prescription drugs from other countries. Despite Biden’s assurances, skepticism remains high. Florida attempted to implement a prescription drug importation program, but faced serious issues. A $30 […]
A Conversation With Ge Bai Regarding Amazon’s Pharmacy Foray
In a recent podcast with Dr. Ge Bai of Johns Hopkins, important points are discussed relating to Amazon’s venture into the pharmacy space. Her extensive background in in public health and business make for an informative discussion. She discusses PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers) and the reasons […]
