Blog post IPFW

The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers met in Miami, Florida this week, bringing together senior leaders from 嘉德诺 , Cencora , and McKesson as well as drugmakers to discuss multiple issues that highlight, once again, just how fast the healthcare industry is changing.

Here are six takeaways from Jeff Berkowitz , Real Endpoints CEO, based on the discussions he had on the ground with fellow attendees.

1.?Launch challenges persist, but opportunities can be found to improve product uptake.

One area that companies don’t think strategically enough about: patient services. Drugmakers that are effective in helping patients navigate payer controls so that individuals both get on – and stay on – therapy will outperform launch expectations. Yet, many companies don’t think critically about what services will be needed at launch (when real world proof of outcomes are slim) and how to optimize those services over a product’s life cycle.

2. Obesity is already reshaping the pharma market landscape.

Case in point: the Lilly Direct model continues to garner significant attention as other manufacturers look to replicate it to combat restrictive payer management policies. Whether it will work outside obesity remains to be seen.

3.?Restrictive payer policies persist beyond launch.

There was a lot of chatter in the meeting about the ongoing role of payers in limiting patient access to products beyond the initial launch phase. It’s another sign of how payer power has increased with vertically integrated business models that combine payer, PBM, specialty and even physician functions. And yes, it’s why direct to consumer models are the new “hotness.”

4. You may feel that AI has jumped the shark, but it’s still on the business agenda. The truth: no one really knows what specific AI investments will result in success – or how best to apply the technology.

5. It ain’t just pharma; multiple stakeholders around the industry are feeling the heat.

Physicians and pharmacists are burned out and in short supply. Hospital margins are decreasing. PBMs are on the hot seat with FTC and Congress, while vertically integrated companies like CVS are the target of activist investors. And don’t forget the “empowered” patients who struggle to make sense of what’s covered and for how much given rising premiums, the impact of ?copay accumulators and maximizers, and a general lack of cost transparency at the point of care.

6. The IRA’s largest impact is on specialty drugs where there has been little to no rebating.

For seven of the “first class of 10”, the maximum fair price closely mirrored the net price point due to existing rebates and discounts. Expect more of the same in the next round of price setting. For products that haven’t had to rebate in the past (oncology drugs we are looking at you), it’s even more important to generate robust real-world data. That will companies preserve pricing flexibility and position products for the least bad maximum fair price.

As we accelerate toward year’s end, it will be interesting to see which of these topics continue to have legs and which fade into the background. How much airtime will be devoted to the #IRA versus other hot button issues? (#340B or #PBM reform, anyone?)

Cc Roger Longman Susan Raiola Julia Murphy Jane F. Barlow, MD, MPH, MBA Rob O'Brien Ryan Walsh Ellen Licking Joe DePinto@Brooke Gobic Mark Parrish Rocky Billups

#trends #commercialization #pharmaceuticals #biotechnology #wholesalers? #IFPW