Blog
The balancing act that’s keeping pharma and biotech market access on its toes
- October 25, 2019
The launch of gene therapies introduced new benchmarks for pricing of pharmaceutical interventions. CAR-T cell therapy costs close to $500,000 per patient in the US, and €300,000 in Europe. Zolgensma®, gene therapy for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, is (at the time of writing) the most expensive drug in the world at $2.1m. Whilst such companies claim these […]
Is real-world evidence the holy grail: Finding the balance
- September 23, 2019
We began our four-blog series by evaluating the role of real-world data (RWD) and real-world-evidence (RWE) in Real-world challenges and real-world data, and understanding the payer’s perspective, in Payers use real-world data cautiously. In our third instalment, we’re looking at how to find the right balance in using RWE. With the rapidly growing availability of […]
Payers use real-world data cautiously
- September 11, 2019
Following our evaluation of the role of real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) in our blog Real-world challenges and real-world data, the second instalment of our four-blog series looks at why payers use real-world data cautiously. While companies and regulators are becoming increasingly enthusiastic about RWD and RWE, payers remain cautious. They’re using concerns […]
Real-world challenges and real-world data
- September 4, 2019
This is the first of a set of four blogs on real-world data (RWD) and real-world-evidence (RWE), and their role in market access. RWD and RWE are high on the list of priorities for the top 20 pharmaceutical companies. According to Deloitte, 90% of them are investing in RWE capabilities across the entire product lifecycle. […]
The 2019 WHO essential medicine list: Narrowing the access gap to innovative cancer treatments
- August 21, 2019
The World Health Organization (WHO) essential medicine list (EML) contains treatments considered to be the most effective and safe in targeting global health concerns. On 9 July 2019, the WHO published the 21st edition of the EML, recommending the inclusion of 28 new medicines.1
Confidential contracting – the road to flexible pricing
- March 5, 2019
Excellent clinical and financial value are drivers for success in pharma, but without efficient, targeted pricing and adequate confidential contracting schemes, the success of any product is not ensured.1 A post on drug pricing by Joseph Jimenez, then CEO of Novartis, attracted a lot of attention in 2016.2 Jimenez stated: “We believe in the efficacy […]
Why are new medicinal products denied reimbursement in France?
- January 16, 2019
Many medicinal products looking to launch are rejected for reimbursement in France. A manufacturer must convince the Transparency Committee that their product is safe, effective and offers added value relative to alternative treatments for successful market access. In this blog, we summarise the reasons for negative reimbursement decisions in 2017 and discuss common pitfalls manufacturers […]
Virtual workshops to elevate value, pricing and market access strategies
- January 9, 2019
Market access workshops, roundtables and payer advisory boards provide vital input and cross-functional alignment on scenario planning, pricing, access and evidence strategies for pharma and medical technology companies. In this blog post we discuss how well-facilitated virtual workshops can meet the same strategic objectives of face-to-face meetings. We got into the business of offering virtual […]
The vicious circle of pharmaceutical tendering
- October 22, 2018
Pharmaceutical tendering and contracting has long been common in healthcare for medical devices and diagnostics; the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Jamaica Commodity Trading Company have been using pharmaceutical tendering since the 1970s. In the 1990s, international institutions such as the World Health Organisation and the World Bank endorsed tendering as the preferred procurement process […]
Beneluxa Initiative further strengthened as Ireland joins the collaboration
- August 22, 2018
On 22 June 2018, Ireland joined the Beneluxa Initiative on Pharmaceutical Policy. What has the initiative accomplished to date, and what will the addition of a fifth member mean for the future? Introduction to the Beneluxa Initiative The Beneluxa Initiative aims to improve patient access to innovative drugs in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, Austria and now […]