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 more than 100,000 subscribers and followers. Learn more...
Today’s guest post comes from Josh Marsh, Vice President and General Manager, Sonexus™ Access and Patient Support at Cardinal Health.
Josh examines the central role that hubs play in connecting patients, providers, and other stakeholders. He shares how hubs, by gathering and interpreting real-world insights, can help improve access, adherence, and the overall patient experience.
Today’s guest post comes from Jim Sheninger, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain at SmithRx.
Jim reviews the evolution of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) within the drug channel and discusses the challenges that the industry's current dynamics create for plan sponsors, patients, and pharmacies. He then outlines SmithRx’s approach to addressing these issues.
Our news-laden summer is ending. Time to pack away your bathing suit, send the kids back to school, and cherish these curated curiosities that I combed from the Drug Channels coastline:
Today’s guest post comes from Angie Franks, CEO at Kalderos.
Angie examines how data fragmentation contributes to inefficiencies in drug discount programs and the broader gross-to-net bubble—the widening difference between a drug’s revenue at list prices and what manufacturers actually receive. Angie outlines how better access to consistent, claims-level data could help reduce waste, improve program integrity, and enhance collaboration among stakeholders in the drug channel.
During my recent video webinar—What’s Next for Retail Pharmacy: Data, Debate, and Disruption—Antonio Ciaccia of 46brooklyn Research joined me to explore the data, trends, and strategic shifts driving a major shakeout in the retail pharmacy sector.
In the short video excerpt below, I break down five key economic forces putting intense pressure on U.S. drugstores. This clip offers just a glimpse of our broader conversation, which also covered PBMs, wholesalers, the evolving competitive landscape, and more.
Today’s guest post comes from Chris Dowd, Senior VP of Market Development at ConnectiveRx.
Chris revisits his November 2024 forecasts to assess how they’ve held up through mid-2025, giving them an overall grade of A-. He examines which trends played out as expected, where the landscape shifted more dramatically, and how these developments are reshaping patient access strategies.
After multiple years of mandated disclosure of negotiated hospital-insurer rates, those of us who follow the buy-and-bill channel might have expected transparency to reduce drug price variability, lower hospital markups, and accelerate adoption of lower-cost biosimilars.
Alas, that’s not what the latest data reveal.
DCI’s analysis of four national commercial insurers—Aetna, Anthem, Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare—and 26 hospitals found that:
Hospitals still earn significant markups over average sale price (ASP). 340B hospitals earn even more.
Insurers pay wildly varying amounts for the same drug.
Some hospitals get paid significantly more than others for the same drug.
Insurers can pay more for a lower-cost biosimilar than for the higher-cost reference product.
While provider-administered biosimilars are significantly cheaper than their reference products, hospitals and insurers are still making them expensive for plan sponsors. Meanwhile, patients with coinsurance and deductibles are paying higher out-of-pocket costs.
Transparency was supposed to clean things up—but someone forgot to bring the mop.
Today’s guest post comes from Stacey Little, Chief Growth Officer at AssistRx.
In this guest post, Stacey explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is helping life sciences organizations move beyond fragmented support models to deliver more integrated and personalized patient engagement. She outlines three distinct approaches to structuring patient support programs and discusses how AI-driven tools—such as AllazoHealth—can help tailor interventions across the entire treatment journey.
Let’s cut through the steamy summer haze with a refreshing breeze of industry insights from Drug Channels—perfect for pondering while you float in your favorite pool:
P.S. Want more real-time insights? Join my more than 64,000 LinkedIn followers for daily links to neat stuff, along with sharp and thoughtful commentary from the DCI community.
Today’s guest post comes from Gregory Morris, Chief Strategy Officer at CareMetx.
Gregory examines how Annual Reverification (AR) processes must evolve in response to changing payer dynamics and increasing benefit complexity. Rather than focusing solely on throughput and operational efficiency, he argues for the importance of more nuanced strategies that help ensure patients maintain access to therapy—even when coverage details shift behind the scenes.
It’s time for Drug Channels’ annual update on drug pricing trends at the largest pharmaceutical manufacturers.
This year’s review includes the following nine companies: Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Company, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi, Takeda, Teva, and UCB. You can find links to each company’s data below.
These data highlight divergent trends reshaping the gross-to-net bubble:
Rebates, discounts, and other fees reduced the selling prices of brand-name drugs at the biggest drugmakers to less than half of their list prices.
When accounting for all list price reductions, average brand-name drug prices declined at three manufacturers and increased at six others.
Gross-to-net difference in price changes ranged from −12.8% to +6.3%, reflecting significant differences in the manufacturers’ portfolio mix and pricing strategies.
As I noted in last week’s gross-to-net bubble analysis, manufacturers’ evolving market access strategies increasingly aim to offset—or circumvent—growing pricing pressure from both commercial and government payers. Drug pricing flat earthers (#DPFE) will be challenged by falling net prices, while policy wonks will be amazed at the unintended consequences unleashed by our crazy system.
The Medicaid Drug Rebate Program Summit returns to Chicago this September! Join 700 annual attendees and nearly 100 expert speakers to master complex regulatory guidelines to deliver compliant government pricing and reporting programs.
The 2025 event features:
Workshops covering Government Pricing and Reporting 101, Tactical Calculations and Strategy, Commercialization for Emerging Pharma, SPTR, and 340B Boot Camp.
Tracked Programming, where you'll build your own agenda with options such as 340B Evolution, State Level Trends, The IRA Rollercoaster, and The New Administration.
Town Hall Style Learning where you'll review best practices and policy ideas.
State Dispute Resolution Meetings where you'll participate in targeted discussions between manufacturers and states to resolve rebates, reporting, and compliance questions.
Opportunity to attend a Closed-Door Executive Strategy Summit, where senior executives will participate in interactive discussions bridging policy with business strategy.
Fireside Chats where an expert panel of attorneys discuss the most pressing issues facing MDRP and Government Pricing.
OIG Address reviewing recent investigations, audit findings, and enforcement actions related to government pricing programs, and a focus on upcoming enforcement priorities.
Opportunities to network and build valuable connections with more than 700 annual attendees.
PLUS–Don’t miss a Keynote from CMS.
Previous attendees praise the event as "An excellent forum to meet industry professionals and gain insight into best practices, current and future, of what's to come regarding manufacturers and government regulations."
The MDRP Summit remains essential for anyone navigating the complex intersection of pharmaceutical economics, compliance, and government programs. With expert speakers, targeted sessions, and valuable networking opportunities, this event delivers actionable insights you can implement immediately.
View the agenda for MDRP 2025 to see the complete picture–the program, speakers, and more, and visit www.informaconnect.com/MDRPSummit for further details and to register.
Drug Channels readers will save 10% off when they use code 25DRCH10 and register prior to August 22, 2025.*
*Cannot be combined with other offers or used towards a current registration. Cannot be combined with special category rates or other offers. Other restrictions may apply.
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 publish an event post on Drug Channels, please contact Paula Fein(paula@DrugChannels.net).
