Asembia’s Specialty Pharmacy Summit

Joe DePinto from McKesson discussed the challenges facing cell and gene therapies, particularly around reimbursement, and highlighted successful strategies to speed up access. He also shared optimism for the future, with many products already achieving blockbuster status and more expected by 2030.

Joe DePinto, MBA, head of cell, gene and advanced therapies at McKesson , met with MHE at the annual Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit in Las Vegas this week to give some insight on where we are with cell and gene therapies, as well as looking at Pfizer's discontinued hemophilia B gene therapy, Beqvez (fidanacogene elaparvovec-dzkt).

A future where healthcare may include augmented reality, robots and drones may be more fact than fiction, says George Van Antwerp, SVP of product innovation and strategic planning at Prime Therapeutics.

As healthcare AI evolves, there will be a greater emphasis on streamlining administrative tasks, drug production and service delivery, according to George Van Antwerp, SVP of product innovation and strategic planning at Prime Therapeutics.

Shawn Griffin, M.D., president and CEO of URAC, shared his insights into best practices for promoting health equity during the annual Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit in Las Vegas today.

At this year’s Asembia conference in Las Vegas, Shawn Griffin, M.D., president and CEO of URAC, spoke about the need for strong leadership and community-based data in specialty pharmacies to identify and address health disparities, which will then improve care for all patients.

Healthcare hasn't been a priority of the second Trump administration so far, panelists at the Asembia agreed. Medicaid may loom large, though, as the administration and congressional Republicans look for ways to slash government spending as a way of offsetting major tax cuts.

The margins are small, and the services they provide must be “high touch.” 340B participation and cost-plus pricing are floated as tactics the pharmacies might use to improve their economics.

The vice president and lead of IQVIA's Market Access Center of Excellence says fewer drugs are hitting the $100 million mark during their first year on the market than in the past.

The vice president and market lead of IQVIA's Market Center of Excellence gives some insight intot the title of his talk today at Asembia meeting.

McElya, senior director, clinical pharmacy at Walgreens, notes that approximately half of the drugs approved by the FDA last year were first-in-class drugs.

The splashy meeting with more than 7,000 people in attendance reflects the growth of the specialty pharmacy sector.

Health plans that use Optum Rx as their pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) will be allowed to tier their coverage of GLP-1s and still receive rebates under an agreement the PBM has reached with the manufacturers, says the PBM president. Optum officials said later that the negotiations were still ongoing,

Earlier this week at the 2024 Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit in Las Vegas, Managed Healthcare Executive editors spoke with Bill McElnea, vice president of population health at Shields Health Solutions, about specialty pharmacies reducing costs for patients.

The retired four-start Navy admiral shared lessons learned from his training as a Navy SEAL and other parts of his life in his keynote address.

Optum and Takeda executives discuss their efforts to collaborate on implementing a value-based care for people with inflammatory bowel disease.

The growth in spending on the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists is a “mega tsunami,” said Doug Long, MBA, vice president industry relations for IQVIA. The script that specialty drugs are the main drivers of U.S. drug expenditures may need some revision.

How the Inflation Reduction Act is implemented and the role of pharmacy benefit managers in drug pricing are likely to be two areas that could look very different after the 2024 election.

In a discussion with Managed Healthcare Executive, Cate Lockhart, Pharm.D., Ph.D., executive director, Biologics and Biosimilars Collective Intelligence Consortium, talks about the disappointment surrounding the uptake of Humira biosimilars.

In a discussion with Managed Healthcare Executive, Cate Lockhart, Pharm.D., Ph.D., executive director, Biologics and Biosimilars Collective Intelligence Consortium, talks about whether or not she favors ending interchangeability designation for biosimilars.

Cencora’s Corey Ford says after the IRA’s out-of-pocket cap goes into effect next year, Part D plans are expected to put in place more narrow drug coverage and pharma companies will likely face a more competitive environment.

Physician shortages and retail pharmacy closures are creating areas without access to healthcare in rural regions and inner cities, warns Luke Greenwalt, vice president, market access, at IQVIA.

Newly launched drugs coming are facing payer controls and other hurdles, says Luke Greenwalt, vice president, market access, at IQVIA.

Tasmina Hydery, Pharm.D., MBA, associate director, digital solutions, Cencora, spoke with MHE editors about the slow uptake of HUMIRA biosimilars despite there being 10 approved options on the market.

The way the drugs have taken off, combined with the number of people in the U.S. who are obese, have made the GLP-1s "an acute problem for every U.S. payer,” says George Van Antwerp, MBA, a manager director at Deloitte.