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...

Monday, September 30, 2024

Informa Connect's Copay, Reimbursement and Access Congress

Informa Connect's Copay, Reimbursement and Access Congress
November 18-20, 2024 | Hilton Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia, PA
Drug Channels readers save 10% with code USAVE24*

The access and affordability landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. Evolving legislation, disruptive market forces and the ever-growing complexities of cost sharing programs threaten patient adherence and commercialization strategies. Are you ready?

A program driven by marketplace insights and led by industry trailblazers, Copay, Reimbursement and Access Congress is back November 18-20 and will deliver up-to-date insights necessary to enhance patient affordability, ensure program sustainability and navigate the regulatory landscape. In a time where remaining compliant has never been more complex and program innovation has never been more important, be sure to join your industry counterparts to drive adherence, access and commercialization forward.

Why attend the Copay, Reimbursement and Access Congress?

Keeping up with shifting market dynamics in the midst of maximizing access, while also meeting business objectives is a challenging task and brings about many questions for access professionals.
  • Is your program sustainable and innovative to better support patients?
  • Accumulators, maximizers, AFPs – What are your next steps to ensure effective reimbursement strategies?
  • In an election year, what is the future of health policy?
Experts will tackle these questions and more as the industry comes together to benchmark best practices to accelerate access and commercialization. Do not miss your chance to join seasoned leaders, your peers and leading solution providers as they navigate marketplace trends and dive into the impact coupons, benefit design, accumulators, maximizers, alternative funding programs and drug pricing legislation have on patient affordability and out-of-pocket costs. This is your chance to gain critical insights on industry standards, forward-thinking strategies to optimize your copay and cost sharing programs and so much more.

Content highlights:
  • Over 20 hours of content, including 7+ dedicated sessions to help decipher copay legislation
  • Crucial perspectives from Pfizer, Sanofi, Janssen, Teva, Ascendis Pharma, Melinta Therapeutics, GSK, HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute and more
  • Insights direct from enforcement agents on the top trends and actions within the copay and patient services space
  • Illuminating case study, Navigating the Patient Journey in a Shifting Copay Landscape from Spark Therapeutics
  • 465 minutes of valuable in-person networking with colleagues and counterparts to expand your network and establish powerful partnerships
  • Additional content access through Streamly, a platform that gives you 12-month access to all of the available conference content** to review at your leisure
  • And more!
Download the agenda and register today—Be sure to use your exclusive promo USAVE24 to save 10% off* of your registration

See you there!

*Cannot be combined with other offers, promotions or applied to an existing registration. Other restrictions may apply.
**Pending speaker permissions



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 27, 2024

The Pivotal Role of Technology in Delivering Effective Patient Services

Today’s guest post comes from George Moore, Chief Information Technology Officer at CareMetx.

As George explains using novel survey data, manufacturers view new technologies  as crucial for patient services. He then explains how digital technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) can be used to improve patient adherence and increase hub efficiencies.

To learn more, download CareMetx’s new 2024 Patient Services ReportRevealing Manufacturer Priorities: Patients Naturally Take Center Stage.

Read on for George’s insights.

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

NEW: The Drug Channels 2025 Video Webinar Series

Drug Channel Institute is pleased to announce The Drug Channels 2025 Video Webinar Series.

Join Dr. Adam J. Fein for three live video webinars during 2025. These live, interactive events will be broadcast via Zoom from the Drug Channels Video studio in beautiful downtown Philadelphia.

During these events, Dr. Fein will address the latest issues confronting the U.S. drug channel. Topics will be determined based on what’s happening—trends, policy changes, company announcements, and more. He’ll share DCI’s latest market data to help you stay on top of new developments. You will be able to use these events as both a capstone of your current learning and a touchpoint for the future.

The three events are scheduled for 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET on the following dates:
  • April 4, 2025
  • June 20, 2025
  • December 12, 2025 (Drug Channels Outlook 2026)
For 2025, we are offering a Corporate Pricing option that will allow larger organizations to register hundreds of colleagues for one fixed price. Please contact Paula Fein (paula@drugchannels.net) for details.

Read on for full details on pricing, including substantial discounts for multiple sites.

P.S. If you're not familiar with our webinars, click here to watch brief excerpts from our video webinars.

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Drug Channels News Roundup, September 2024: Inside JNJ’s Gross-to-Net Bubble, Optum Rx’s Private Label Biosimilars, Where Biosimilars Boom, Accumulators vs. Patients, and Steve Collis Retires

Autumn is here! Curl up with your favorite pumpkin-spiced blog and savor these acorns that we’ve squirrelled away for you:
  • Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicines gives a peek inside its $43 billion gross-to-net bubble
  • Optum Rx joins the private label biosimilar bandwagon
  • Biosimilars boom for provider-administered drugs
  • Fresh evidence of how copay accumulators hurt patients
Plus, words of wisdom from Cencora's soon-to-be-former CEO Steve Collis.

P.S. Join my more than 58,000 LinkedIn followers for daily links to neat stuff along with thoughtful and provocative commentary from the DCI community.

There’s still time to request an invite to the inaugural Drug Channels Leadership Forum. Attendance will be highly limited. We have already begun extending invitations, so apply now to be considered. Click here to view the full agenda.

Monday, September 23, 2024

Informa Connnect's Pharma/Biotech GTN Summit

Informa Connnect's Pharma/Biotech GTN Summit
November 18-20, 2024 | W Philadelphia Hotel, Philadelphia, PA
Drug Channels Readers Receive 15% Off* with Code 24DGC15.

View the Complete Agenda

Book Your Place

The complex components of gross-to-net management requires cross-functional collaboration in order to effectively develop sound accrual estimates, proper forecasting, optimized pricing and contracting models and accurate financial reporting, all with minimal disruption to market access strategies.

The CPE-accredited Pharma/Biotech GTN Summit is the ideal opportunity to engage in comprehensive sessions for end-to-end GTN excellence, connect with peers to exchange experiences and solutions to common challenges, and participate in interactive discussions that address real-world scenarios to enhance GTN accuracy and efficiency.

Featured Thought-Leaders Leading the Dialogue Include:
  • Nancy Bell, Vice President, Head of US Patient Value & Access, Takeda Oncology
  • Chris Boneham, Vice President, Market Access US, Y-mAbs Therapeutics
  • Prakash Chainani, Vice President – Finance, HR & IT, Lifestar Pharma LLC (a Mankind Group Company)
  • George Kappus, Associate Director, M&S Controlling (GtN, Boehringer Ingelheim
  • Sherri Cirota, Executive Director, Contracts & Pricing, Alkermes
  • Chris Rocco, Senior Director, Market Access Data, Reporting & Analytics, GSK
  • Rosalind Davis, Director, Government Pricing & Contracts, CSL Vifor
  • Dan Sacchetta, Director Managed Markets Finance- Gross-to-Net, Novartis
  • Eckart Beuttenmueller, Director, Gross-to-Net Execution, Bayer
  • Kinneret Klein, Executive Director, Commercial Financial Planning & Analysis, Biocryst
  • James Engel, Controller, Finance, Collegium Pharmaceuticals
  • Brett Nussbaum, Head of Gross to Net Accounting, Novartis
  • Timothy Kocses, Executive Director, US Commercial Controller, Bristol Myers Squibb
  • Robert Lucchesi, Director, FP&A Sales Reporting & Forecasting, Novo Nordisk
  • Funso Olufade, PhD, MBA, Sr. Director – Head, Commercial Finance, Ascendis Pharma
  • Amy Ramazio, Contract Forecasting & Analytics Director, GSK US Market Access
  • Ranish Singhvi, Vice President, Finance, Accord Healthcare
  • Jeffrey Miller, Assistant Vice President & Corporate Controller, Lannett Company
  • Bal Ram, SVP Finance, US Operations, Indivior
  • Matthew Pellegrini, Sr. Director - Revenue Optimization Contracting & Compliance N.A, Teva Pharmaceuticals
  • Michael Domanico, Vice President Finance, Revenue, Sandoz
  • Christopher Wang, Corporate Controller, Revance Therapeutics
  • Melissa Norton, Assistant Controller, Revenue, Tolmar
  • Michael Christiano, Director, Revenue, Ardelyx
Learn more and see why the GTN Summit remains a great choice for education and benchmarking on strategic forecasting, estimates, analytics and reporting through best practices for gross-to-net management.

Drug Channels subscribers — Save 15% when you reserve your place using the VIP code 24DGC15.

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


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 20, 2024

Best Practices for Successfully Transitioning a Patient Services Hub

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

Josh discusses challenges manufacturers may face when outsourcing patient support programs. He outlines a process that smoothly transitions hubs and minimizes disruptions for patients and healthcare providers.

To learn more, download the 3-step guide to patient hub transitions.

Read on for Josh’s insights.

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Available for Preorder: The 2024-25 Economic Report on Pharmaceutical Wholesalers and Specialty Distributors

On October 8, 2024, Drug Channels Institute will release our 2024-25 Economic Report on Pharmaceutical Wholesalers and Specialty Distributors. This report—our fifteenth edition—remains the most comprehensive, fact-based tool for understanding and analyzing the large and growing U.S. pharmaceutical distribution industry.

9 chapters, 350+ pages, 178 exhibits, 750+ endnotes: There is nothing else available that comes close to this valuable resource.

We are providing you with the opportunity to preorder this thoroughly updated, revised, and expanded 2024-25 edition at special discounted prices. This means that you can be among the first to access our new report. Those who preorder will receive a download link before October 8.
You can pay online with all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover) or via PayPal. Click here to contact us if you would like to pay by corporate check or ACH.

Special preorder and launch pricing discounts will be valid through October 21, 2024.

Read on for more details.

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).