29% of Healthcare Payments Under Alternative Payment Models
A report by the Health Care Payment Learning & Action Network showed that 29% of health care payments in the US last year came through an alternative payment model, compared with 23% in 2015, totaling $354.5 billion. The percentage of payments coming through fee-for-service or legacy models fell from 62% in 2015 to 43% last year, the report says.
Trump panel urges more treatment options to fight opioid crisis
The President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis has released final recommendations for how the government can combat the crisis, but it didn’t specify how much funding would be needed to implement the measures. Recommendations include simplifying the process for obtaining federal funding for programs to fight addiction, eliminating barriers to treatment, establishing drug courts in all federal jurisdictions, investing in prescriber training and launching an outreach campaign.
Pfizer, Celltrion say data backs switch to Remicade biosimilar
A long-term, randomized, controlled trial comparing Pfizer and Celltrion’s Inflectra with Johnson & Johnson’s Remicade in biologic-naïve patients with active Crohn’s disease found similar safety, efficacy and tolerance profiles, supporting use of the biosimilar version.
Teva cuts guidance yet again as Copaxone copies, generics pressure take their toll
For the third time in the last four quarters, the company slashed its guidance, bringing its expected revenue range down to $22.2 billion to $22.3 billion from $22.8 billion to $23.2 billion. Teva’s non-GAAP earnings per share forecast sank to $3.77 to $3.87, a big step-down from its previous projection of $4.30 to $4.50, while it edited its cash flow from operations numbers by more than $1 billion, to $3.15 to $3.3 billion from $4.4 billion to $4.6 billion.
Shire adding in-house Cinryze production after shortage, but continues to shed plants
Shire is scrambling to take some manufacturing of its rare disease drug Cinryze in house after problems at Dutch contractor Sanquin led to a shortage of the drug. The move comes even as Shire has targeted three more plants for elimination as it continues to pare down its production network after picking up a bunch of plants in its buyout of Baxalta.
The Challenge of Measuring Outcomes in Specialty Pharmacy
Specialty pharmacies with the tools to improve, measure and report on results can help patients achieve positive outcomes, something manufacturers look for when developing partnerships, writes pharmacist Joe Thomas. Specialty pharmacies must take into account quantifiable outcomes and values as well as how often to measure outcomes, a process that is difficult but valuable, he writes.
FDA Sets Monthly ANDA Records in October
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October issued complete responses to 325 abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) and approved or tentatively approved 101 ANDAs, the highest numbers in a single month since the enactment of Generic Drug User Fee Amendments (GDUFA).
Cost of diabetes epidemic reaches $850 billion a year
(Reuters) – The number of people living with diabetes has tripled since 2000, pushing the global cost of the disease to $850 billion a year, medical experts said on Tuesday.
Optimizing use of genetic testing: Key considerations for health plans
While genomic medicine has the capacity to revolutionize clinical practice, its practical integration into the healthcare system hinges at least partly on the confidence, and coverage, of health plans. Unfortunately, a lack of well-established standards can make this challenging.
5 Lessons about Value-Based Insurance Design
Companies like IBM use value-based insurance principles to deliver the most value when it comes to employee health benefits. Here’s how these strategies can lower health care costs for employees.