The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on March 21 published a new set of guidelines that address the management of patients with COVID-19, and those without. NICE says the guidelines aim to bolster patient safety, as well as facilitate the "best use of NHS resources and […]
AMCP Hosting Webinar on Medicare Advantage, Part D Proposed Rule
The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) is hosting a webinar today, March 23, on CMS' proposed Contract Year 2021 and 2022 Medicare Advantage and Part D rule. The hour-long webinar is set to begin 2 p.m. EST. Members can attend the webinar free of charge, while non-members must pay $69 to […]
Pharma Responds to Canadian Pricing Regulations
Pharmaceutical companies are changing their business interests in Canada following new pricing regulations, according to a Pink Sheet report. According to the report, Roche has withdrawn from consideration its anticancer treatment Tecentriq, which was under review by two health technology […]
Kentucky Governor Bolsters Pharmacist Prescribing Rights Amid Outbreak
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear in a new executive order has given the state's pharmacists the ability to fill prescriptions for 30 days, according to a Pharmacy Times report. The order comes as the state looks to combat the coronavirus. According to a Lexington Herald Leader report, the state, as of […]
NICE Taps Leng as New Chief Executive
The U.K.'s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) announced the appointment of Gillian Leng, NICE's current deputy chief executive, as its new chief executive. Leng, who also serves as the director of health and social care, has served as NICE's deputy chief executive since […]
Beijing Investigating Woman Who Entered Country with COVID-19 Symptoms
Beijing authorities have opened an investigation into a woman, surnamed Li, who reportedly entered China to attend a company meeting while suffering from COVID-19 symptoms, according to a FiercePharma report. While authorities have not revealed the woman's work affiliation, FiercePharma reports […]
U.S. Looks to Limit Out-of-Pocket Costs for Insulin Under Medicare
The Trump administration announced a new plan to limit the out-of-pocket costs for insulin to $35 month for Medicare patients, Reuters reports. According to the report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is setting up a testing environment for the payment plan. "While Medicare […]
Lessons From U.K.’s NICE
A recent opinion piece published on BMJ looks at some of the key lessons to be gleaned the U.K.'s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Tara Lamont, director of the NIHR Dissemination Centre, writes that while there was some skepticism about the agency at its birth, it has "developed […]
Azar: White House Doesn’t Believe in Price Controls as Researchers Work on Coronavirus Vaccine
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar during recent testimony before Congress regarding the Coronavirus said the Trump administration doesn't believe its partnership with the drug industry should include price controls, the Pink Sheet reports. Azar said the government "can do basic […]
Report: Extended-release Drugs Could be Costing Billions
A recent study published in JAMA Network Open suggests the U.S. health care system could save billions if doctors prescribed short-acting drugs instead of extended-release drugs, Reuters reports. The study analyzed Medicare and Medicaid spending data between 2012-2017. "It's not a huge […]
Analysis Looks at ICER’s FDA Outreach Plan
A recent analysis by the Pink Sheet spotlights a new initiative by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) which aims to bolster its patient-engagement efforts. One component of its new Patient Engagement Program includes performing outreach to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) […]
CMS Testing Waters with Risk-Sharing Deals with ACO Program
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is testing risk-sharing agreements in Medicare's Direct Contracting program, according to a Managed Care report. According to the report, the agency is accepting applications from potential "direct contracting entities" for the program until […]
Impact of Drug Pricing Controls on Innovation
The pharmaceutical industry, citing concerns over innovation, has consistently pushed back against the U.S. government's efforts to tame drug prices. But what impact would pricing controls actually have on innovation? According to a MedCity News article, the issue is a complicated one with a […]
Article Reflects on NICE’s Achievements, Economic Evaluation Methods
University of York's Mark Sculpher and Stephen Palmer in a recent article published in PharmacoEconomics discuss the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence's track record of achievements and the evolution of its economic evaluation methods. Sculpher and Palmer in their review go back […]
Wynne Health Group’s LaRosa Talks Drug Pricing Intiatives
Josh LaRosa, policy director at Wynne Health Group, in a new Relentless Health Value podcast highlights a number of drug pricing initiatives circulating in Washington. To listen to the 15-minute podcast, click here. […]
Report Outlines How States Can Act on Drug Spending
A recent report by the Center for American Progress outlines how states can take action to reduce prescription drug spending. According to the report, states looking to reduce spending face a number of major challenges. "Federal law preempts the most sweeping, comprehensive state reforms that […]
Massachusetts to Pay for Zolgensma on One Condition: It Must Work
Massachusetts' Medicaid program, MassHealth, has inked a conditional deal for Novartis' $2 million one-time spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) gene therapy, Zolgensma, WBUR reports. According to the report, MassHealth says it agrees to pay for the drug on the condition it works. "We think it makes […]
Rosenthal Blasts Health System, Policymakers on Surprise Bills
Journalist and physician Elisabeth Rosenthal in a recent opinion piece published on the New York Times criticizes the health care system and U.S. policymakers over surprise health care bills. "Major sectors of the health industry have helped to invent this toxic phenomenon, and none of them want […]
Price of Decades-Old Drug Skyrockets, Georgia City Sues
The price of Belcher Pharmaceuticals' Acthar gel skyrocketed after having been granted orphan status by the Food and Drug Administration, and a city in Georgia is firing back in a new lawsuit that claims the drugmaker is keeping the price artificially high, according to media reports. According […]
Utah Flies Public Workers to Mexico for Cheaper Drugs
Utah is taking drastic steps to cut down on health costs by flying public workers to Mexico for cheaper prescription drugs, the Associated Press reports. According to the report, about 10 state workers are participating in the program, which launched about a year ago. Ann Lovell, a 62-year-old […]
AMCP CEO Cantrell Talks Health Care in 2020
Susan Cantrell, CEO of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, in a recent blog post outlines a number of key issues facing the American health care system. AMCP, she writes, is "preparing for the twists and turns of an uncertain first year" in a new decade. "With health care a top issue in this […]
NICE Looks to Include EHRs, RWE in Guidance
The U.K.'s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) announced plans to incorporate electronic health records and real-world evidence (RWE) in the development of its guidance, PMLiVE reports. According to the report, officials proposed the plan last month. NICE vowed to "set out […]
ICER’s Pearson, Emond Make Case for Independent Assessments
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review's (ICER) Steven Pearson and Sarah Emond in a recent blog post outline the benefits to independent value assessments and how they can help states curb drug prices. Pearson and Emond write that independent, transparent reports provide "a fair benchmark […]
Dems Invite Insulin Affordability Advocates to State of the Union
A slate of Democratic legislators have invited insulin affordability activists as their guests to tonight's State of the Union address, STAT reports. To some of the advocates, however, the invitations meant retelling tales of horror about their insulin woes. "I don't know that I would call it […]
FDA Finalizes Policies Around Gene Therapies
Forecasting a boom in the gene therapy landscape, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week finalized a number of policies for the development and assessment of gene therapies, BioPharma Dive reports. According to the report, the FDA expects it could have 10-20 gene therapies in the […]
Denmark Adopting QALY System for Hospital Drugs
Denmark is shifting to a new evaluation system for hospital drugs based on the quality-adjusted life year (QALY), according to a Pink Sheet report. The pharmaceutical industry says that while the process is more complicated, moving to a QALY-based system will expedite market access, according to […]
New Guidance Enables States to Convert Medicaid Funding into Block Grant
A new initiative rolled out earlier this week by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) aims to let states convert Medicaid funding into a block grant, Fierce Healthcare reports. According to the report, states who receive a waiver are permitted to change the benefits for a limited […]
NICE Rejects Coverage of J&J’s Spravato
The U.K.'s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) earlier this week rejected coverage of Johnson & Johnson's heavily-criticized depression nasal spray, Spravato, FiercePharma reports. According to the report, NICE backed away from the drug due to concerns about the drug's […]
Patient-Preference Data in Medical Devices to Take Center Stage at ISPOR-FDA Summit
An upcoming summit hosted by the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to focus on using patient-preference data in regulatory decision making for medical devices. The summit, "Using […]
Pink Sheet Report Looks at Influence of NHS England, NICE
A recent analysis by The Pink Sheet dives into the influence of two drug pricing forces in the U.K.: the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS England. To read The Pink Sheet's analysis, click here. (Paid subscription required) […]
