Pricing & Reimbursement

Seven of the top 10 drugs with net price increases in 2021 that had a substantial effect on US spending did not have adequate new evidence to support any price increase, ICER determined.

The annual reimbursement price negotiations between pharma firms and China’s National Healthcare Security Administration are just around the corner. While some have chosen to walk away from the process completely, others including majors BeiGene and Hengrui are girding up for another round of potentially deep cuts.

The company believes the Phase III Clarity AD results offer a high level of evidence that may convince the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to change its stance on anti-amyloid antibodies for lecanemab. 

Eyestem founder and CEO talks to Scrip about progress made by the firm’s experimental treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration, cell and gene therapy pricing considerations and the wider competitive landscape. The company is also developing treatments for retinitis pigmentosa and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

United Health's pharmacy benefit manager outlined plans for early inclusion of up to three biosimilar versions of adalimumab on its formularies in 2023, at parity to the brand.

In this week's podcast edition of Five Must-Know Things: a preview of the CTAD Alzheimer’s meeting; US myeloma drug withdrawal puts pressure on GSK; UniQure/CSL's gene therapy sets new US price record; new leadership at Teva; and Merck’s Frazier cautions against profit maximization.

Phase III results for Eisai/Biogen’s lecanemab are the main event at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease meeting, but other data – even Roche’s failed Phase III gantenerumab studies – also may have implications for the amyloid-clearing antibody. 

Pharma CEOs must balance optimizing access and profitability, former Merck CEO and soon-to-be ex executive chairman of the company said. Frazier says health care industry must come to table and admit the “system ain’t working,” talks about the need to protect democracy, in a sweeping interview at the STAT Summit.

Multi-product players may be able to use bundled rebates for preferred formulary status and biosimilars offer a new competitive dynamic, but there is hope for novel therapies.

The non-profit Access To Medicine Foundation’s latest report shows big pharma is making progress on drug access plans as new non-exclusive voluntary licences help facilitate sustainable supply, but there is still not enough R&D for tropical diseases.

Because of FDA requirements for studies applicable to US patients, EQRx ended US development of its PD-1 inhibitor and will launch its EGFR and CDK4/6 inhibitors at market-based prices.

Amgen will be first to launch a Humira biosimilar in the US with its Amgevita, but it and other adalimumab copies may add pressure to the company’s already declining top-seller Enbrel.