October 20, 2015 - Curant COO, Marc O'Connor, in MedCity News - Biopharmaceutical manufacturers have been taking it on the chin lately as prices continue to skyrocket. The battery continues as candidates vying for their respective party’s nomination for the 2016 presidential campaign take their positions. As Chris Seper reported via Matthew Herper at Forbes, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both identified the biopharmaceutical industry as their proudest enemies.
While it is true that improved alignment among all members of the continuum: biopharmaceutical manufacturers, PBMs, payers and pharmacists is needed to improve access to, and value for, high cost specialty therapies, the manufacturers seldom get credit for things they are doing right to the benefit to all concerned. Here are three.
- New programs specifically designed to improve adherence and outcomes.
AbbVie, manufacturer of Humira, provides its “Humira Ambassadors” program, which is designed to affect positive outcomes for disease states aligned with the drug’s indications. It provides supplemental education, including appropriate injection techniques, access assistance (including copay assistance for some patients) and other support such as medication reminders.
AbbVie sponsored a study in April 2015, where the sample included patients aged 18 years or older with a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis. The study abstract, published in the Journal of Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy, found that the program:
- Lowered 12-month medical cost by 23% associated with patients using PSP.
- Lowered disease-related medical cost for PSP patients by 22%.
- Lowered total costs for patients enrolled in the PSP program by 10%.
To read Marc's full article, visit Medcity News
To learn more about Curant Health, contact Kristin Lindsey, Marketing Director, at klindsey@curanthealth.com.