Informa Connect’s Pharma/Biotech GTN Summit

Informa Connect’s Pharma/Biotech GTN Summit
November 16-18, 2026 | Hilton at Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia, PA, USA

Exclusive Discount For Readers:
Use promo code 26DCH15 for 15% off* your registration.

Download the agenda here
Reserve your spot here

Informa’s Pharma/Biotech GTN Summit returns on November 16-18, 2026, in Philadelphia, PA, bringing together hundreds of senior finance, gross-to-net and accounting professionals from across the life sciences industry to navigate the evolving complexities of gross-to-net management in an era of unprecedented regulatory change.

This year’s CPE-accredited event (offering up to 16.0 CPE credits, plus 2.0 additional credits with the optional add-on, pre-conference training course) will deliver cutting-edge insights on AI integration, IRA implementation strategies, and advanced forecasting methodologies. With an intensive focus on regulatory adaptation, technology transformation, and cross-functional excellence, the agenda addresses the most pressing challenges facing GTN professionals today – from Maximum Fair Price (MFP) operationalization to AI-powered analytics and strategic organizational design.

Featured Thought Leaders Include:

• Brett Nussbaum, Head of Gross to Net Accounting, Novartis
• Matt Pellegrini, Senior Director Business Finance, NA, Teva Pharmaceuticals
• Prakash Chainani, Senior Vice President – Finance, HR & IT, Lifestar Pharma
• Kinneret Klein, Executive Director, Commercial Financial Planning & Analysis, BioCryst
• Ivorita Foster, Director, Gross to Net – Finance, Sandoz
• Bal Ram Chopra, Senior Vice President, Finance & Operations, Tethra Biosciences
• James Engel, Controller, Finance, Collegium Pharmaceuticals
• Darpan Jhaveri, Senior Director – US Revenue and Inventory Accounting, Insmed Incorporated
• Robert Lucchesi, Director, GTN Forecasting, Novo Nordisk
• Ranish Singhvi, Vice President, Finance, Accord Healthcare
• Elizabeth Rodriguez, Director, Revenue, Akebia Therapeutics, Inc.
• Neel Shah, Life Sciences Advisory Director, RSM US LLP
• Walt Worsham, Managing Director, IntegriChain
• Jennifer Sharpe, Vice President, Gross-to-Net Consulting, IntegriChain

See why the GTN Summit remains the top choice for your peers navigating the intersection of GTN complexity and clarity.

PLUS! Save 15%* when you reserve your place today using the VIP code 26DCH15.

*Offer exclusively for life sciences manufacturers only. Offer applies to the current rate and maybe not be applied to existing registrations; additional terms may apply, see website for full details.

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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 Marie Caldwell (mcaldwell@hmpglobal.com).

Drug Channels Leadership Forum 2027: Antonio Ciaccia to Serve as Moderator

By Tyler Novotny

We’re excited to announce the return of the Drug Channels Leadership Forum (DCLF), taking place March 15–17, 2027, at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa in Miami. Drug Channels Institute (DCI) will once again host this invitation-only gathering of senior leaders and decision-makers from across the drug channel.

DCLF returns for its third year with the same focus that has defined the event from the start: candid, consequential conversations about the forces reshaping the U.S. pharmaceutical ecosystem.

Request Your Invitation Today!

BlinkRx Insights: Beyond the Hub - Rethinking the Prescription Journey

Today's guest post comes from Geoffrey Chaiken and Matthew Chaiken, Co-founders of BlinkRx.

Geoffrey and Matthew examine how efforts to improve patient access have contributed to an increasingly fragmented prescription journey. They suggest that a more integrated approach can reduce complexity, improve visibility and control for manufacturers, and create a simpler path to therapy for patients.

To learn more about the BlinkRx Prescription Journey Management Platform, visit BlinkRx.

Read on for Geoffrey and Matthew's insights.

The Private Label Biosimilar Paradox in Medicare Part D

By Tyler Novotny and Bryce Platt

PBM-affiliated private label biosimilars would seem to have a built-in formulary advantage. But for ustekinumab, that advantage has not carried over to Medicare Part D.

A recent JAMA Network Open study identified 12 ustekinumab products available for formulary coverage in early 2026. Yet the average Part D plan covered only 2.3 biosimilars. Even more surprising, PBM affiliated private label products were largely missing from formularies connected to their corporate siblings.

CVS Health’s Cordavis labeled Pyzchiva received no Part D coverage. Optum Rx’s Nuvaila labeled Wezlana appeared in just 0.4% of UnitedHealth plans.

The results run against the conventional logic of vertical integration. If a PBM can influence formulary placement, why not direct volume toward its own product like in commercial formularies? The answer lies in the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) Part D redesign, which made the economics of an affiliated private label biosimilar potentially less attractive in Medicare than in the commercial market.

Below, we follow the incentives that help explain why PBM-affiliated biosimilars remain largely absent from Medicare Part D formularies.

Medicare, Medicaid, and Reverification: What Patient Support Programs Need to Know Before January 2027

Today's guest post comes from Bryce Aronson, Director of Business Development at AssistRx.

Bryce covers three considerations taking effect in January 2027—the end of Medicare Part D premium support, a faster Medicaid redetermination timeline, and the shift away from once-a-year reverification—and what they mean for patient support programs. He explores how affordability solutions can help reduce coverage disruptions, minimize unnecessary PAP utilization, and maintain continuity of therapy throughout the transition.

To learn more about AssistRx's affordability solutions, access their webinar, State of Patient Support 2026: Turning Regulatory Policy, AI and Direct-to-Patient Pressure into Program Strategy.

Read on for Bryce's insights.

Drug Channels News Roundup, August 2026: 340B Rebate Model v2, Patients Feeling Drug Costs, Specialty Drug Spending Drivers, Impact on Coverage from the IRA, and a Drug Price Adventure

By Bryce Platt, PharmD

Kids are heading back to school, but the drug channel never stops handing out homework. Fortunately, we did some of the research prep for you.

In this issue:

• HRSA's Revised 340B Rebate Model Pilot

• Households Feel the Cost of Prescription Drugs More

• The Drivers of Specialty Drug Spending

• Lost Brand Coverage in Medicare Part D Plans After the IRA

Extra: Let’s Go on an Adventure to Find Out What Your Prescription Actually Costs You!

P.S. Join my nearly 42,000 LinkedIn followers for valuable daily posts at 9 a.m. ET.

Invisible Work of Rare Pharmacy Delivers Highly Visible Patient Outcomes

Today's guest post comes from Jay Weaver, VP, Payer Solutions at PANTHERx^® Rare.

Jay describes the clinical and operational work that often happens behind the scenes at a Rare Pharmacy. He explains how these capabilities—including greater personalization, real-world evidence, and specialized clinical expertise—can support therapeutic success and help payers assess the value of Rare Pharmacy.

To learn more about the PANTHERx approach to Rare Pharmacy, download their guide, Five Criteria for Payers to Evaluate a Rare-Focused Specialty Pharmacy.

Read on for Jay's insights.

REMS Removed: Why CAR-T’s Expansion into Community Oncology Could Benefit the Big Three Wholesalers

By Greis Kapexhiu and Adam J. Fein, Ph.D.

In June 2025, the FDA announced that CAR-T therapies would no longer be subject to a REMS program.

The FDA’s removal of CAR-T REMS requirements eliminates one obstacle to expanding treatment beyond traditional academic medical centers. That change could disproportionately benefit the Big Three wholesalers, which have spent billions building positions in community oncology while simultaneously investing in cell-and-gene-therapy distribution and support infrastructure.

Read on for our review of this dynamic sector and ponder how wholesalers’ community oncology roll-up activities could interact with their cell and gene therapy (CGT) investments. Will wholesalers capture a growing share of CAR-T’s economics, or will hospitals continue to hold the upper hand?

Hub Transitions Need Proven Plans, Smart Scale-Up

Today's guest post comes from Josh Marsh, Vice President and General Manager at Cardinal Health Sonexus™ Access and Patient Support.

Josh examines the risks manufacturers take when transitioning a patient services hub from one vendor to another. He argues that scaling with a proven, flexible blueprint can help hubs with speed, patient continuity, and confident decision-making.

To learn more, download Cardinal Health Sonexus™ Access and Patient Support's framework: 5 Questions Every Manufacturer Should Ask Before a Hub Transition.

Read on for Josh's insights.

The K-Shaped Pharmacy Shakeout: Consolidation in Cities, Lost Access in Rural America

By Bryce Platt, PharmD

The United States has almost 8,000 fewer retail pharmacies than it did in 2018, and more than 2,000 closed in 2025 alone. Rite Aid has liquidated. Walgreens is working through a multi-year plan to shutter hundreds of stores. CVS has trimmed hundreds more.

Yet total U.S. prescription dispensing revenues for all dispensing formats reached a record $751 billion in 2025, up 10% from 2024.

Record closures and record revenue in the same year may seem contradictory, but national totals obscure very different effects on the community. The impact of the retail pharmacy shakeout on patient access has become geographically K-shaped: dense markets can absorb pharmacy closures with little loss of patient access, while rural communities can lose their only nearby pharmacy.

The economic pressures on pharmacies are similar across the country. The access consequences of a closure are not. Below, we examine what is driving the shakeout and why geography determines which communities can absorb them.

Informa Connect’s Medicaid Drug Rebate Program Summit

Informa Connect’s Medicaid Drug Rebate Program Summit
October 5-7, 2026 | Chicago, IL
Drug Channels readers save 10% with code 26DRCH10*
View Agenda | Download Brochure

The Medicaid Drug Rebate Program Summit returns to Chicago this October! Join 700 annual attendees and nearly 90 expert speakers to master complex regulatory guidelines to deliver compliant government pricing and reporting programs.

The 2026 event features:

• Direct state engagement: One-on-one Medicaid dispute resolution with 31+ confirmed states.
• Comprehensive coverage: MFP implementation, inflation rebates first invoicing, pharma tariffs, Buy America rules, onshoring strategies, PBM reforms, FTC transparency mandates, and physician-administered product challenges, 340B, AMP, URA, GTN, SPTR, FMV, FSS, Medicaid Parts D and B, and more.
• Unparalleled faculty: Industry leaders from Gilead, AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Genentech, Eli Lilly; legal authorities from Hogan Lovells, Arnold & Porter, Covington & Burling; government representatives including CMS, OIG, VA, and 31+ state Medicaid agencies.
• Networking: Opportunities to build valuable connections with more than 700 annual attendees.

Prior 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 2026 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 26DRCH10 and register prior to September 18, 2026.*

*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.

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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 Marie Caldwell (mcaldwell@hmpglobal.com).

A System of Record, or a System of Learning?

Today's guest post comes from Scott Filosi, Chief Commercial Officer at Valeris.

Scott explores how patient access organizations can move beyond simply tracking the patient journey to using real-time insights to improve it. He argues that connecting commercial strategy, market access, payer intelligence, and patient services can speed access to therapy, improve decision-making, and enhance the patient experience.

To learn more, download Valeris’ white paper: The Unified Ecosystem: How Valeris Integrates Intelligence and Execution for Better Patient Outcomes.

Read on for Scott's insights.