Drug Channels delivers timely analysis and provocative opinions from Adam J. Fein, Ph.D., the country's foremost expert on pharmaceutical economics and the drug distribution system. Drug Channels reaches an engaged, loyal and growing audience of nearly 100,000 subscribers and followers. Learn more...

Monday, September 16, 2024

Informa Connect's Patient Support Services Congress

Informa Connect's Patient Support Services Congress
November 20-21, 2024 | Hilton Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia, PA
Drug Channels readers save 10%* with code 24DC10.

The Patient Support Services Congress is designed to help educate and share innovative program design, latest customer strategies and practical solutions to overcome complex access barriers, enhance program performance and deliver best-in-class patient programs amidst evolving regulations. Benefit from key stakeholder interaction, dedicated breakouts, and detailed case studies on control enhancement and operational excellence to further strengthen your programming.

Prepare for Robust Discussions On:
  • Enforcement Update – Explore Rising Oversight and High Priority Risk Areas for Patient Services Compliance
  • Navigating Today’s Patient Support Program Operating Models – Trends, Insights and Strategic Best Practices
  • The Journey of the Inflation Reduction Act
  • Optimizing Patient Support in this New Era – Accumulators, Maximizers and Alternative Funding Programs
  • Unleashing the Power of AI for Patient Support
  • PLUS! Tailored Tracked Content for a Customizable Experience
    • Compliance and Legal
    • Innovation and Operations
  • And more!
Featured Faculty Driving the Conversation:
  • Suzanne Marinakos, Director, Patient Services Operations, Novo Nordisk
  • Jonathan Amar, Assistant General Counsel, Sanofi
  • Maria Pandolfo, Vice President, Patient Services, Catalyst Pharma
  • Richard Liner, Senior Assistant General Counsel, Bayer
  • Tara Kennedy, Global Director, Ethics & Compliance, Apellis Pharmaceuticals
  • Emily Gibb, Vice President, Head of Novartis Patient Support Cardiovascular, Renal, and Metabolic, Novartis
  • Lee Cortes, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, United States Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey
  • Erica Devine, Director, Patient Experience and Support Nephrology/Rare, Otsuka
  • Patrick Gomez Menzies, Director, Market Access, Chiesi USA, Inc.
  • Meghan Jones, Associate Director, Patient Support Services, Rare Blood Disorders, U.S. Sanofi Genzyme
  • Julie Kilcoyne, Senior Director, Healthcare Law, Blueprint Medicines
  • Lakia Lewis-Latin, Director, Program Management Strategy, Abbvie
  • Kristin Manzolillo, Senior Director and Team Lead, US Oncology Patient Solutions Strategy, Pfizer
  • And so many more!
View the complete agenda today and join one of the prominent conferences showcasing insightful discussions on access strategy, patient interactions, case management, compliance frameworks and more to help professionals strengthen and innovative their patient-oriented programs.

Drug Channels subscribers — Save 10% off the current registration rate with promo code 24DC10*. Register today.

*Offer applies to current rates only and may not be combined with other offers, category rates, promotions or applied to an existing registration. Offer not valid on workshop only or academic/non-profit registrations.


The content of Sponsored Posts does not necessarily reflect the views of HMP Omnimedia, LLC, Drug Channels Institute, its parent company, or any of its employees. To find out how you can promote an event on Drug Channels, please contact Paula Fein (paula@DrugChannels.net).

Friday, September 13, 2024

GoodRx: Evolving & Expanding Integrated Platform Partnerships to Drive Access, Affordability & Outcomes

Today’s guest post comes from Rick Fry, VP of Strategic Development at GoodRx.

Rick explains why patients and pharmaceutical manufacturers now pay a greater share of prescription costs. He outlines GoodRx's services that address the twin challenges when the patient is the payer and the manufacturer faces intense gross-to-net pressures.

To learn more, download the GoodRx case study: GoodRx Integrated Platform Solutions: Patient Navigator + Integrated Copay Card.

Read on for Rick’s insights.

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

White Bagging Update 2024: Providers’ Pushback Preserves Buy-and-Bill

Time for DCI’s annual update on the channels for provider-administered drugs. Below, I review the latest data on 2024 trends and compare them to the pre-pandemic figures.

For 2024, payers report that specialty pharmacies—via white and clear bagging—have displaced buy-and-bill for a meaningful share of commercial covered lives utilizing provider-administered oncology drugs. However, provider pushback has limited specialty pharmacies' share gains, so that buy-and-bill remains the most common channel for these products.

Payers’ adoption of white bagging—and provider’s push back—reflect the ongoing battle for oncology margin in U.S. drug channels. Let’s hope that patients don’t get caught in the crossfire.

P.S. Today’s article is adapted from Chapter 3 of DCI’s forthcoming 2024-25 Economic Report on Pharmaceutical Wholesalers and Specialty Distributors, which will be available to preorder next week at special introductory pricing.

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Drug Channels Leadership Forum: Full Agenda Now Available (Spoiler: It’s Awesome!)

I am pleased to announce the full agenda for the inaugural Drug Channels Leadership Forum, which will be held from March 17 to 19, 2025, at the Turnberry Resort and Spa in Miami. Everyone here at Drug Channels Institute (DCI) is excited to bring this novel event to the drug channels community.

I personally assembled the agenda. As you can see, it’s filled with senior industry executives who will participate in fireside chats with me as well as topical panel discussions moderated by a diverse set of subject matter experts.
I am also pleased to announce an excellent addition to the agenda. David Joyner, Executive Vice President, CVS Health, and President, CVS Caremark, and Prem Shah, Executive Vice President and Chief Pharmacy Officer, CVS Health and President, Pharmacy and Consumer Wellness, will be joining me for a fireside chat.


To maximize the value of networking and learning, the event will have fewer than 450 participants. If you haven’t done so yet, click here to request an invitation. DCI will carefully review all submissions to include participants from a broad range of industry organizations. DCI will begin extending invitations on a rolling basis starting on September 23, 2024. Once you receive your invitation, you will have 15 business days to accept and complete the registration by paying the registration fee.

Please note that the number of attendees from technology companies, business services, and other industry vendors will be strictly limited to the number of badges included with their chosen sponsorship level. There will be no exhibit hall and no media. Click here to learn more about available sponsorship opportunities.

Visit the event website for more information on the registration process and our policies.

Read on for the full press release. I hope you can join us!

Friday, September 06, 2024

Three Areas to Watch: The Inflation Reduction Act and Prescription Pricing

Today’s guest post comes from H. John Beardsley, Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy at CoverMyMeds

John discusses how the new maximum fair prices (MFPs) published by the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) will affect medication affordability, formulary negotiations, evidence-based strategies, and other aspects of the market.

To learn more, register for CoverMyMeds' October 10, 2024, webinar: The Inflation Reduction Act: What to Watch Following the First Round of Negotiations.

Read on for John’s Insights.

Wednesday, September 04, 2024

Humira Biosimilar Price War Update: Should We Be Glad that CVS Health and Express Scripts Are Using Private Label Products to Pop the Gross-to-Net Bubble?

The Humira biosimilar market just took another step forward—but remains far from its ideal state.

Last week, Cigna’s Express Scripts announced that it that will follow CVS Health’s CVS Caremark business and remove Humira from its largest commercial formulary in favor of multiple biosimilars.

Below, we review the 20 products competing with Humira—including four private-label products marketed by in-house subsidiaries owned by CVS Health and Cigna.

As you will see below, CVS Health’s formulary actions led to rapid uptake of a low-list-price biosimilar. Express Scripts’ 2025 strategy will also drive biosimilar adoption, although its pricing strategy is more problematic.

But what’s really going to bake your noodle later: Would the largest PBMs have popped the gross-to-net bubble for Humira if they hadn’t been able to profit from the switch?

Tuesday, September 03, 2024

The Healthcare Innovation Company's Value-Based Care Summit

The Healthcare Innovation Company's Value-Based Care Summit
In-Person Event | October 28 - 29, 2024 in Washington, DC

Use promo code VBCDC to save $100. Register Today.

Download the brochure.

The Value-Based Care Summit, produced by The Healthcare Innovation Company (thINc), brings together healthcare providers, health plans, pharmaceutical companies/manufacturers, and regulatory and legislative leaders to discuss novel approaches, innovative models, and mutually beneficial partnerships that drive care delivery transformation and accelerate the transition to value-based care.

Can't miss content highlights including:
  • Risk-Sharing and Value-Based Contracting: Examine outcomes-based strategies and innovations in value-based contracting arrangements
  • Policy and Regulations: Understand key updates from policy experts including HHS and CMS on value-based payment models
  • Value-Based Digital Solutions: Explore case studies on how to test, design, and scale digital services
  • Cross-Stakeholder Partnerships: Foster stakeholder partnerships to optimize patient support and care delivery
  • Population Health and Value-Based Care: Leverage real-world data and understand social determinants of health to build predictive value-based care solutions for populations
Must-attend sessions include:

Enhancing Value-Driven Care through Patient Engagement, Customer Experience, and Quality Measurement
  • Jennifer Norton, SVP of US Patient and Market Access (PAMA), Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Leadership Roundtable: Transformational Leadership Strategies for Driving Value
  • Lee J. Handke, PharmD, MBA, CEO, Nebraska Health Network
  • Conrad Vial, MD, SVP, Sutter Health and President, Sutter Health Network
  • Moderator: Josh Berlin, JD, CEO, rule of three, LLC
Key Strategies from the Value-Based Care Playbook
  • Mollie Gelburd, JD, Senior Director, Delivery System & Payment Transformation, America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)
  • Aisha Pittman, MHP, SVP of Government Affairs, National Association of ACOs (NAACOS)
  • Jeff Micklos, Executive Director, Healthcare Transformation Task Force
  • Carol Vargo, VP, Physician Practice Sustainability, The American Medical Association (AMA)
  • Moderator: Debbie Welle-Powell, MPA, Adjunct Professor, University of Colorado Business School; Past Chair, National Association of ACOs (NAACOS); CEO, DWP Advisors
PLUS! Two Dedicated Tracks for Your Focus Area:
  • Data Analytics and Technology
  • Strategy and Operations
View the current Speaker Faculty and register today.

Bonus content for Pharma and Life Sciences executives: You can attend the Specialty Networks and Patient Support Services Summit, October 29-30 in the same venue.

*All registrations subject to review by the thINc team. Promo codes are only applicable to NEW registrations and not applicable for vendors/solutions providers.


The content of Sponsored Posts does not necessarily reflect the views of HMP Omnimedia, LLC, Drug Channels Institute, its parent company, or any of its employees. To find out how you can promote an event on Drug Channels, please contact Paula Fein (paula@DrugChannels.net).