As the world continues to battle the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), drug companies, healthcare providers, and others are facing unprecedented challenges, too. Bristol-Myers-Squibb joins the list of companies halting introductions and clinical trials during the pandemic. Humana and Cigna waive out-of-pocket costs for COVID-19 treatment. And cancer patients face worries about continuing or discontinuing chemotherapy treatments during the pandemic. Read on for more in this week’s Innovation Partners Bio Blog.

Janssen’s experience illustrates the COVID-19 logistics maze drugmakers must solve: report

The novel coronavirus has completely altered the supply chain for manufacturers worldwide, and few have been impacted as much as drugmakers. Johnson & Johnson, for example, had a plant near Wuhan and experienced many challenges getting products out of the region. Many drugmakers are turning to passenger planes to ship products from China, but flights are uncertain.
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FiercePharmaPolitics—Congress’ stimulus likely pushes back drug pricing action

The pandemic has changed the course of dialogue in Washington about drug pricing. Experts believed at the start of the year that the debate would be intense over many measures making their way through Congress to lower the prices of prescription drugs. Now, however, with all eyes turned towards stopping the rising tide of the pandemic, momentum and support for many of the bills has been lost. The expiration date for key health programs, for example, has been moved from May to November.
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Trump Administration Provides Financial Relief for Medicare Providers

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an expansion of its accelerated and advance payment program for Medicare participating health care providers and suppliers. This expansion is intended to ensure they have the resources needed to combat the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The expansion includes changes from the recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and is one way that CMS is attempting to lessen the financial hardships of providers facing extraordinary challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensures the nation’s providers can focus on patient care.
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Drug makers on shaky ground as clinical trials are postponed and drug launches delayed amid pandemic

Bristol-Myers-Squibb joins the list of other drugmakers who have decided to halt or postpone drug launches and clinical trials due to the pandemic. The company announced it will halt launching Zepostia, a new multiple sclerosis treatment. The global pandemic has disrupted the entire industry which relies on collaborative work and meeting milestones to please investors. But with hospitals, doctors, and laboratories focused on COVID-19, few have the resources to continue with testing, clinical trials, and drug launches.
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Cigna, Humana Waive Patient Out-Of-Pocket Costs For All Coronavirus Treatment

Both Cigna and Humana are waiving patients’ out-of-pocket costs for all coronavirus treatments. The White House announced that the two insurance companies will cover all out of pocket costs for COVID-19 patients; Cigna announced it will cover costs until May 31 while Humana did not list an end date. As customers face record unemployment levels and worry about meeting basic financial needs, the company’s efforts are seen as a gesture of goodwill and an effort to help customers focus on their health without worrying about costs.
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For Cancer Patients, Coronavirus Pandemic Presents New Risks To Treatment

For the approximately 650,000 cancer patients in the United States, going through treatment and overcoming the disease itself was their primary concern. But now, there’s a new worry: coronavirus (COVID-19). Healthcare experts warn that chemotherapy, the treatment that often gives cancer patients their best hope, may also be their biggest danger. Chemotherapy compromises a patient’s immune system while traveling to treatment centers puts them at greater risk of exposure to the virus. Patients and doctors struggle with the choices, weighing individual pros and cons to decide whether to continue or delay treatment. Experts caution that cancer patients should take great care to wash their hands and practice social distancing as precautions during the pandemic.
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