• Crucial Meetings on Capitol Hill this Week

    Seven CEOs from the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill for what some are calling a potential turning point in the public perception of the industry. The meetings focus on the continued outcry against the rising cost of drugs. For instance, insulin, which has not changed much since its launch over ...

  • How Can We Lower the Costs of Healthcare and Drugs?

    This week’s Innovation Partners BioBlog explores the ideas, thinking, and policies that shape the debate around lowering the cost of healthcare and drugs. A new study finds that Medicare and Medicaid are better at keeping spending per beneficiary low. The Trump Administration may be putting more generic drugs through the FDA process faster, but are ...

  • Medicaid, Medicare, and Oncology in the Spotlight

    This week’s Innovation Partners BioBlog looks at changes to California’s Medicaid program that may shake up the current Medi-Cal system. Debate continues on step therapy in Medicare, Part B and Medicare unveiled a new app intended to help people determine what is covered. Oncologists and others require more information and education about oncology biosimilars, a ...

  • New Payment Models, New Deals

    In this week’s Innovation Partners BioBlog, we look at a new payment model unveiled by CMS as well as new deals between Walmart and CVS. A doctor examines the pros and cons of dispensing oral oncolytics through clinics rather than specialty pharmacies. One hospital is waiving payments until the government shutdown ends to bring relief ...

  • News from the J.P. Morgan Health Conference and More

    This week’s Innovation Partners BioBlog provides a recap of key company news from the JPM Health Conference. GSK is changing direction and adding to its cancer drug pipeline, while Eli Lilly and Co has indicated it will not, for the time being, pursue CAR-T and gene therapy. Hospitals began complying with the ruling to post ...

  • Oncology Drugs, Research and News: The Innovation Partners BioBlog

    This week, the Innovation Partners BioBlog focuses on oncology research and drugs. Eli Lilly purchased Loxo Oncology this week while Sanofi and Regeneron extended and restructure their immune-oncology agreement. Takeda struck three new deals which will help their oncology R & D efforts, and Ribon raised millions to fund clinical trials. This and more in ...

  • CVS Unveils Exciting New Plans, Medicare Payments in the News

    This week, attention focuses on several aspects of Medicare. CMS will delay modifications to E/M codes until 2021 thanks in large part to push back from doctors. Site-neutral payments are in the news related to Medicare along with Medicare Part B. In other news, CVS plans some testing of new programs to address chronic health ...

  • The Cost of Healthcare, New Payment Models and More

    In this week’s Innovation Partners BioBlog, we look at the challenges of designing new payment models for prescription drugs. The president seeks to align United States’ drug costs with those of its European counterparts; he also signed legislation this week to combat the opioid crisis. The CVS-Aetna merger continues apace, while other items of note ...

  • Aetna Stays Put While Cancer Tests Go Portable in This Week’s BioBlog

    In this week's Innovation Partners BioBlog, some things stay the same while others are on the move. Aetna decided to keep its headquarters in Connecticut, reassuring the city of Hartford that it will stay put for at least a decade. Cancer detection is on the move with researchers at the University of Buffalo presenting a ...

  • Aetna, UnitedHealth, Medicaid and More in the News

    Mergers, acquisitions, and changes abound this week in the world of healthcare. Aetna plans to sell its Medicare Part D business as part of its deal to go ahead with its CVS merger. UnitedHealth purchased Genoa and plans to fold it into its Optum RX business. Discussions of drug prices, value-based contracts and more are ...