It’s a Specialty Drug World, We’re Just Living in It, Expert Says
The difference between specialty drugs and traditional drugs and how each have vied for market competition, according to Jeff Casberg, MS, RPh, senior vice president of clinical pharmacy services at IPD Analytics.
The specialty drug market now accounts for approximately 80% of drug approvals, according to Jeff Casberg, MS, RPh, senior vice president of clinical pharmacy services at IPD Analytics, who recently sat down with Managed Healthcare Executive to talk about specialty drugs.
Casberg explained that while there is no textbook definition for what a specialty drug is, his company, IPD Analytics, has their own definition.
“When we get asked how we define it, we talk about high cost, high touch, basically any drug that you probably want to have a little extra guidance on, beyond retail. Now, about 80% of all approvals are considered specialty. So, there are not that many traditional drugs approved, depending on how you define it.”
The term “specialty drug” has its roots in the 1970s, when the industry formed to serve patients who needed specific treatments for conditions such as hemophilia or cancer. The recent rapid growth is fueled by technological advancements for new treatments.
FDA Approves First At-Home Cervical Cancer Screening Device
May 15th 2025Self-collected samples to test for cervical cancer are a step in the right direction when it comes to addressing healthcare barriers, according to Rahma S. Mkuu, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor in the Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics at the University of Florida College of Medicine.
Read More
Conversations With Perry and Friends: Paul Fronstin, Ph.D.
May 9th 2025Perry Cohen, Pharm.D., a longtime member of the Managed Healthcare Executive editorial advisory board, is host of the Conversations with Perry and Friends podcast. In this episode, his guest is Paul Fronstin, Ph.D., director of health benefits research at the Employee Benefit Research Institute.
Listen
Conversations With Perry and Friends
April 14th 2025Perry Cohen, Pharm.D., a longtime member of the Managed Healthcare Executive editorial advisory board, is host of the Conversations with Perry and Friends podcast. His guest this episode is John Baackes, the former CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan.
Listen
The First Financial Toxicity Tumor Board Reports Success in Individual Patient Savings
May 14th 2025Financial toxicity can affect patient outcomes and quality of life. For example, a patient may forgo treatment or medications to save money, or they may incur high medical debt or go into bankruptcy to pay for medical care.
Read More
