Apple has released the results of its study aimed at determining the effectiveness of its smartwatch's ability to alert wearers of irregular heartbeats that could point to atrial fibrillation, according to a FierceBiotech report. The 8-month Apple Heart Study, which was launched in November last […]
Article on Drug Prices Spurs Debate
The authors of a recent article on drug prices published in Health Affairs have responded to criticisms levied by National Pharmaceutical Council CSO and Executive Vice President Robert Dubois, according to a STAT report. Dubois in a Health Affairs blog post criticized the paper for using list […]
Gottlieb Slams Sponsors Over Unwillingness to Rethink Trials
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb recently took aim at sponsors and CROs for their "continued reluctance" to deploy more innovative approaches to clinical trials, FierceBiotech reports. Gottlieb, who is set to resign next month, says the agency has opened the door for more […]
ICER Releases Updated Protocol For Assessing Price Hikes
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) on Friday, March 15, released an updated protocol for its planned yearly analysis of drug price hikes to determine which are and aren't supported by clinical evidence. According to a press release, the first of these new reports is slated to […]
Legislators Target Anti-Competitive Practices
U.S. policymakers are looking to crack down on anti-competitive strategies some pharmaceutical companies use to delay the entry of generic competitors, according to a FierceHealthcare report. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Health subcommittee on Wednesday discussed a host of bills […]
ICER Releases Draft Report on Siponimod
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) on Thursday, March 14, released a draft evidence report on Novartis's siponimod for the treatment of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. According to a press release, the report is open to public comment until 5 p.m. EST April 10. ICER is […]
Article: FDA, Gottlieb Pushed on RWE
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb made a concentrated push on bringing real-world evidence into the fray, according to a Managed Care report. Gottlieb, who is set to resign next month, charged forward by issuing the FDA's real-world evidence framework in which it […]
RareChannels Taps Fortin as Chief Commercial Advisor
RareChannels on March 6 announced Lyne Fortin, a former Theratechnologies executive, would serve as the organization's chief commercial advisor. According to a release, Lyne brings 30-plus years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. "When I began drawing out the leadership team wish-list, […]
PROs in Publication Planning?
Richard White, Oxford PharmaGenesis COO, in a recent article looks at how patient-reported outcomes (PROs) fit into publication planning. In his article, according to The Publication Plan, White backs a more broad scope in publication planning to incorporate all available evidence, be it economic, […]
ICER White Paper Warns Against Abrupt Changes
In its 48-page white paper outlining three alternatives to the current pharmaceutical rebate model, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) warns against abrupt changes, according to a Center for Biosimilars report. ICER in its paper, "Value, Access, and Incentives for Innovation: […]
Webinar to Spotlight Rising Out-of-Pocket Costs
AcademyHealth is set to host a March 20 webinar which will dive into a recent report by JPMorgan Chase on out-of-pocket health spending. The webinar is slated for 2:30-3:30 p.m. EST. JPMorgan's Fiona Greig will outline year-over-year trends for multiple demographics, according to the event […]
NICE META Tool Training Nears
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is planning to host a Medtech Early Technical Assessment (META) Tool training event April 2 in London. According to NICE's website, the fee to enter the training event is £500 ($667 USD). "Created by NICE Scientific Advice ... , the META Tool© […]
NPC’s Dubois: Article’s Authors ‘Used Flawed Data’
The authors of a recent article published in Health Affairs was using "flawed data" in their assessment of rising drug prices, National Pharmaceutical Council CSO and Executive Vice President Robert Dubois writes in a Health Affairs blog post. The data "likely [led] to flawed results," Dubois […]
Article: More Robust Regulations Needed to Wrangle Private Health Care
A recent article by economist Craig Garthwaite urges stronger regulations to address key problems in private health care, and that private organizations should "support efforts to fix competition ... ." "Our biggest policy mistakes result from writing poor regulations that either explicitly or […]
ISPOR to Host Webinar on MCDA for HTA Agencies
The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) is offering a webinar on the use of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) for HTA agencies. Scheduled for 11 a.m. EST April 3, the online event will focus on how MCDA can be used to "improve the quality, consistency, […]
Congress Invites PBMs to Hearing
Moving forward with hearings on drug prices, the Senate Finance Committee has invited representatives from five pharmacy benefit managers to testify, Reuters reports. According to the report, the hearing is scheduled to take place April 3. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Ron Wyden this week sent invites […]
Report: Employers Absorbing More Rebates from PBMs
Employers are receiving an increasing amount of greenbacks through rebates collected by their pharmacy benefit managers, according to a recent report on Drug Channels. Per the report, which cites data from the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute, only 17 percent of employers in 2018 reported […]
Study: Prescription Drug Spending Posted $90B Increase Between 2012-16
A new study by Pew Charitable Trusts found that prescription drug spending saw an almost $90 billion increase between 2012-16, surging to $341 billion in 2016 from $250.7 billion in 2012. The study found patients are paying more for prescription drugs, PBMs have passed on more pharma rebates to […]
Rutgers University’s Gusmano Talks Patient-Centered Care
Rutgers University professor Michael Gusmano discussed patient-centered care in a podcast posted March 6 on Health Affairs. Support is increasing for a system of health care built on patient-centered care, but the term "consumer" is being confused with term patient. Purchasing health care is not […]
Medicaid, Medicare Face Big Cuts
President Donald Trump's 2020 budget proposal includes significant cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, according to a Healthcare Dive report. The White House is looking to cut $845 billion from Medicare over the next decade, per the report, as well as move more than $1 trillion from Medicaid spending to […]
Trump Budget Includes Slew of Proposals to Cut Drug Prices
The Trump administration's budget proposal for 2020 features more than two dozen proposals aimed at reducing drug prices, according to an InsideHealthPolicy report. According to the report, the budget includes penalties for drugmakers that engage in anti-competitive practices, and bars companies […]
ICER White Paper Outlines Three Alternative Models for Pharma Rebates
A newly-released white paper by the Institute for Clinical and Economic (ICER), in partnership with the Office of Health Economics (OHE), offers a look at three potential alternative models for pharmaceutical rebates. The paper, "Value, Access, and Incentives for Innovation: Policy Perspectives on […]
NCI Director to Serve as Interim FDA Chief
National Cancer Institute Director Ned Sharpless has reportedly been tapped to serve as the Food and Drug Administration's interim chief, according to a FirstWord Pharma report. Sharpless will head the agency after FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb's resignation goes into effect next […]
U.S. in Line with Other Countries on Out-of-Pocket Costs
While the U.S. posts the highest numbers among similarly-developed countries for how much consumers pay for prescription drugs, it falls in line with those same countries on out-of-pocket costs, per an Axios report. The U.S. posted $1,016 in drug spending per capita in 2016, followed by Switzerland […]
NPC’s Graff Talks RWE’s Potential, Future
National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) Vice President of Comparative Effectiveness Research Jennifer Graff during an interview with Managed Care said real-world evidence could be used consistently used in the next 10 years. "Whether this is ultimately a 10-year or 40-year evolution will be […]
Article Spotlights High Cost of Specialty Drugs
While specialty medications carry the potential to deliver significant health benefits for rare diseases, the price tag for these kinds of therapies is "certainly pushing the boundaries of the US health care system," according to a recent article published in Specialty Pharmacy Times. Though a […]
AbbVie CEO Gonzalez Nets $21 Million
AbbVie CEO Richard Gonzalez reportedly brought home $21 million in 2018, according to a FiercePharma report, with almost $4 million of that coming from a performance-based incentive award. According to the report, Gonzalez's compensation is heavily tied with the success of the drugmaker's […]
Report: Specialty Drugs Key Issue for Employers
With specialty drugs accounting for roughly half of total drug spending, employers continue to grapple with the high-cost therapies. According to a report from the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI), employers are taking an increased interest in not only drug adherence, but also whether […]
Analysis: ASP Responsible for Big Savings for Medicare, Seniors
A new analysis by the Moran Company found that the Average Sales Price (ASP) system created through the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 has delivered significant savings for the government and seniors. The report suggests the ASP system kept roughly $132 billion in the government's and seniors' […]
Embattled Pharma Bolsters Lobbying Efforts Amid Pushback
As it continues to face widespread criticism and condemnation for high drug prices, the pharmaceutical industry is bolstering its lobbying efforts in Washington, according to a Bloomberg Government report. The political landscape, however, according to Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing spokesman […]
