In a recent article published on the New York Times, Austin Frakt, director of the Partnered Evidence-Based Policy Resource Center at the V.A. Boston Healthcare System, writes that while U.S. health care spending is the most expensive, "health care is still a bargain." "Consider this analogy: If […]
AESARA’s Pham, Okamoto Outline Mission, Method
HealthEconomics.Com Founder and CEO Dr. Patti Peeples recently interviewed AESARA's Sissi Pham, CEO, and Lynn Okamoto, chief business and technology officer, about how the digital-forward market access agency is carving out its own unique path. Pham launched AESARA in 2016 with the goal of […]
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Trump Administration Freezes Work on Medicare Proposals
The Trump administration has temporarily halted work on Medicare rules aimed at lowering drug spending, CNBC reports, including a proposal that would enable Medicare plans to negotiate down prices of drugs in the protected class. According to the report, the administration also stopped work on a […]
NASH Drugs Could Face Payer Roadblocks
While therapies for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) aren't expected to reach the market until a couple years yet, the drugs could face challenges from payers due to concerns about efficacy and price, BioPharma Dive reports. According to the report, the first drugs to hit the market could have […]
Tufts’ Chambers Highlights AMCP Presentation
Tufts Medical Center's James Chambers recently offered another look inside his presentation at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's (AMCP) March meeting in California. Chambers' presentation in March highlighted patient input in specialty drug coverage decision making, as well as the pros and […]
ICER Says J&J’s Spravato is Overpriced
Johnson & Johnson's new therapy to treat resistant depression, Spravato, is overpriced, according to the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), though it could provide a "comparable, small, or substantial net health benefit" for patients. According to a FiercePharma report, the […]
AMCP Foundation Opens Memorial Fund for Carroll
The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Foundation recently announced a memorial fund to honor the late Cathy Carroll, funds from which will support future pharmacists. Carroll started her 35-plus year career in her home state, Missouri, and later worked her way to become "an international […]
On-Demand Webinar Spotlights Key Components of Negotiating Payer Contracts
A recent webinar sponsored by PMMC offers a breakdown of some key variables involved in negotiating effective payer contracts. The webinar is available to watch on demand on HealthPayerIntelligence. "In 2019, as high deductible health plans continue to rise and patients take on a greater share of […]
Post Talks Best Practices for Publication Planning with Internal, External Participation
A recent post on the International Society for Medical Publication Professionals' (ISMPP) MAP Newsletter discusses some best practices for handling internal and external participation in publication planning. "In general, a cross-functional global medical team, consisting of a publication or […]
Workshop to Include Virtual Coding Challenge
An upcoming workshop and training event on using R for trial and model-based cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is set to include a pre-workshop coding challenge. The training event is set for July 8 at the University College London, with the main workshop planned for the next day. According to a […]
Study Suggests 42% of Americans Struggle to Pay for Medicine
With net spending on drugs surging year after year, Americans continue to report financial woes when it comes to paying for their medicine, according to a Managed Healthcare Executive report. A PEW study found that net spending on prescription drugs posted a 36 percent increase between 2012 and […]
Article: Rule on Pharma’s DTC Ads is ‘Tiny Baby Step’ in Right Direction
The Trump administration's recent rule requiring pharmaceutical companies to include a drug's list price in direct-to-consumer ads is a step in the right direction, albeit a "very tiny baby step," American Council on Science and Health Senior Fellow Charles Dinerstein writes in a recent […]
Panel Discussion to Spotlight Cancer Drugs, Prices
An expert panel is slated the discuss the ongoing balancing act between the price of cancer drugs and the health benefits they bring for patients during the upcoming MedCity CONVERGE conference in Philadelphia, MedCity News reports. The panel, "Value and Cost of Novel Cancer Treatments," is set for […]
ISMPP Taps Matheis as New President, CEO
The International Society for Medical Publication Professionals (ISMPP) has named Robert Matheis to serve as its new president and CEO, the society announced Tuesday, May 14. Matheis, who will replace outgoing president and CEO Al Weigel, previously served as Celgene Corporation's executive […]
Report Spotlights U.K.’s New Pricing Bill
A recent report by PMLiVE offers a look at the U.K.'s recent drug pricing deal introduced in January, the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access (VPAS). The arrangement, according to the report, addresses patient access to some medicines. Value assessment is also a key component […]
What Has Trump Accomplished on Drug Prices?
The Trump administration has been a vocal critic of prescription drug prices in the U.S., and has on numerous occasions vilified the pharmaceutical industry as being responsible for high prices. But what has the Trump administration accomplished on that front? Recent actions include requiring […]
FDA OKs Jacobus Pharmaceuticals’ LEMS Treatment
Following much controversy over Catalyst Pharma's decision to put a $375,000 price tag on a Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) treatment that was originally being provided for free by Jacobus Pharmaceuticals, Jacobus has received the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) green light on a […]
ICER, IPD Announce New Analytics Partnership
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) will leverage IPD Analytics' (IPD) data and insights to bolster its reviews of "high-impact, high-cost therapies" as part of a new collaborative effort, the organizations announced last week. The initiative was announced Thursday, May 9. IPD […]
Novartis’ Zolgensma About to Hit Market with Record Price Tag
Novartis' new gene therapy for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is soon to hit the market with an expected price of roughly $2 million, the Wall Street Journal reports. While the drugmaker has not yet set the price of Zolgensma, according to the report, executives say the health […]
ICER: Price of Esketamine for Treatment-Resistant Depression Exceeds Cost-Effectiveness Thresholds
The price of Janssen's esketamine for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) exceeds commonly-cited $50,000-$150,000 quality-adjusted life year (QALY) cost thresholds, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) suggests in a recent evidence report. ICER found esketamine […]
Report: Pelosi Working on Drug-Pricing Negotiation Proposal
Sources tell Inside Drug Pricing that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office is crafting a new drug-pricing negotiation bill that would work in arbitration in price negotiations between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and pharma companies, InsideHealthPolicy reports. According to the […]
MAPS Webinar to Spotlight Scientific Communications Platforms
The Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) is planning to host a webinar on scientific communications platforms. The webinar, titled "Standards and Guidance - Scientific Communications Platforms," is scheduled to kick off noon EST May 17. "Scientific communication platforms are foundational […]
CVS Health to Acquire Premier’s Specialty Pharmacy
CVS Health is set to acquire Charlotte-based Premier's specialty pharmacy branch which includes Acro Pharmaceutical Services and Commcare Pharmacy, according to a Becker's Hospital Review report. The $22.5 million acquisition was announced Monday, May 6. "Although specialty pharmacy continues to […]
MAPS Outlines Latest Edition of ‘Elevate’
In its latest newsletter, the Medical Affairs Professional Society (MAPS) announced the May edition of "Elevate," the society's official magazine, and spotlights a number of other unique offerings. Included in this month's edition is a discussion with Lundbeck's Doug Williamson on novel operating […]
ISPOR Outlines Milestones in 2018 Annual Report
The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) on Tuesday, May 7, released its 2018 Annual Report, which outlines some of the society's key milestones. According to a press release, ISPOR posted record attendance at its 2018 meeting in Europe with more than 5,500 […]
Senate Committee to Host Hearing on Drug Pricing Reform
The Senate Judiciary Committee is slated to hold a hearing on drug pricing reform 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 7. Representatives slated to testify during the hearing, titled "Intellectual Property and the Price of Prescription Drugs: Balancing Innovation and Competition," include South Carolina Department […]
Cothran, Knoth Talk Value-Based Contracts in Medicaid
Pharmacy Management Consultants (PMC) Director Terry Cothran and Eisai, Inc., Health Economics and Outcomes Research Director Russell Knoth recently discussed how value-based contracts could improve how states manage Medicaid costs. According to a DocWire News report, Cothran outlined Oklahoma's […]
Pharma Giants Join Blockchain Platform
Several major pharmaceutical companies have joined the MediLedger Project, a blockchain-powered platform aimed at addressing inefficiencies in the current supply chain, BlockPublisher reports. According to the report, Pfizer, McKesson, Amerisource Bergen Corporation and Premier Inc. have signed on […]
BCBSA, BHI Launch Analytics Challenge
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) and Blue Health Intelligence (BHI) have partnered to offer a unique data analytics challenge, the winner of which will be granted access to BCBSA's data, HealthITAnalytics reports. As part of the challenge, participants will be required to comb through a […]
