According to our recent payer coverage analysis for breast cancer (HER2-) treatments, combined with news from key healthcare influencers, market access is shifting in this drug landscape.

To help make sense of this new research, MMIT's team of experts analyzes the data and summarizes the key findings for you. The following are brief highlights. To read the full piece, including payer coverage, drug competition and prescriber trends, click here.

Topics: Specialty, Market Access, Payer, Branding & Marketing

This past quarter saw two new gene therapies: Novartis AG subsidiary AveXis, Inc.'s Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi) received FDA approval May 24 for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, and bluebird bio's Zynteglo (autologous CD34+ cells encoding β^A-T87Q- globin gene) received conditional marketing authorization from the European Commission for transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia.

While only a handful of therapies in the broader regenerative medicine/advanced therapy (RM/AT) space are available globally, a new report shows that is likely to change, as there are more than 1,000 products in the pipeline, AIS Health reported.

 

Topics: Specialty, Industry Trends, Market Access, Provider, Payer

Amid an ongoing outcry against rising drug costs, the Trump administration recently introduced two importation pathways to reduce what U.S. residents pay for drugs, AIS Health reported.

Under the Safe Importation Action Plan, the first pathway would allow states, wholesalers and pharmacists to propose to HHS demonstration projects for importing certain drugs from Canada. Under the second pathway, drug manufacturers could import non-U.S. countries' versions of their drugs into the United States.

 

Topics: Industry Trends, Provider, Payer

According to our recent payer coverage analysis for ulcerative colitis treatments, combined with news from key healthcare influencers, market access is shifting in this drug landscape.

To help make sense of this new research, MMIT's team of experts analyzes the data and summarizes the key findings for you. The following are brief highlights. To read the full piece, including payer coverage, drug competition and prescriber trends, click here.

Topics: Specialty, Market Access, Payer, Branding & Marketing

CMS in a final Medicare Advantage and Part D drug pricing rule posted in May finalized the requirement that Part D sponsors implement an electronic Real-Time Benefit Tool (RTBT). While the tool offers the potential to accelerate electronic prescribing, improve formulary adherence and lower prescription drug spending, it may pose a heavy information technology burden for some plans and require effort on the part of plans to encourage prescriber adoption, AIS Health reported.

According to the rule, each Part D sponsor must implement at least one RTBT capable of integrating with at least one prescriber's e-prescribing system or electronic health record (EHR) to "provide prescribers who care for its enrollees complete, accurate, timely and clinically appropriate patient-specific real-time formulary and benefit (F&B) information (including cost, formulary alternative and utilization management requirements)" by Jan. 1, 2021.

 

Topics: Industry Trends, Provider, Payer

While there is certainly no shortage of proposals on drug pricing from the administration, a proposed Senate bill is taking a multipronged approach to the issue. The Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act (PDPRA) of 2019, introduced by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), proposes multiple changes to Medicare Part B and Part D, as well as Medicaid. According to a preliminary estimate by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), 10-year savings to the federal government would total more than $100 billion, AIS Health reported.

Proposals within the bill include caps on drug price increases in both Part B and Part D, as well as caps on out-of-pocket (OOP) spend for beneficiaries via a complete restructuring of Part D. It also proposes including patient coupons within the average sales price calculation, boosting the add-on payment for a Part B biosimilar from 6% of the reference drug’s ASP to 8% for a five-year period and banning spread pricing in Medicaid.

 

Topics: Industry Trends, Provider, Payer

Now that the Trump administration has abandoned its bid to overhaul the Medicare Part D drug rebate system, all eyes are on what Congress will do to address the ever-vexing problem of high drug prices, AIS Health reported.

While some ideas lawmakers are considering could be very problematic for PBMs, industry analysts are dubious about their prospects. Other less-drastic changes, though, could make it into law.

 

Topics: Industry Trends, Provider, Payer

According to our recent payer coverage analysis for Merkel cell carcinoma treatments, combined with news from key healthcare influencers, market access is shifting in this drug landscape.

To help make sense of this new research, MMIT's team of experts analyzes the data and summarizes the key findings for you. The following are brief highlights. To read the full piece, including payer coverage, drug competition and prescriber trends, click here.

Topics: Specialty, Market Access, Payer, Branding & Marketing

Beginning last month, Louisiana has been able to treat hundreds of patients who were waiting to receive a pricey cure for hepatitis C thanks to after hammering out an innovative payment model with a drug manufacturer, AIS Health reported.

But the road to get there was long and difficult, according to Rebekah Gee, M.D., secretary of the Louisiana Dept. of Health, who, during a July 22 event hosted by the Brookings Institution, detailed the challenges she faced in trying to get a costly curative therapy to more people while facing down a $2 billion budget deficit. "We were told 'No' at least 50 times from a variety of people, whether it was the industry, or policymakers or individuals at the CDC…because it had never been done before," she said.

 

Topics: Industry Trends, Provider, Payer

Industry consultants from Milliman Inc. assert in a July 11 report that blockchain — which is described as a real-time digital ledger for building secure networks — "could potentially transform the relationship between payers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesalers, and pharmacies by offering an alternative, transparent mechanism for processing, pricing, and validating prescription transactions."

Using blockchain technology, payers and pharmacies would reduce the time they spend validating insurance coverage, making phone calls and managing data, Milliman explains. The firm is urging PBMs to work to "evaluate a blockchain alternative now with an eye toward a more efficient drug financing system" capable of handling additional technology improvements, AIS Health reported.

 

Topics: Industry Trends, Data & Analytics, Provider, Payer