NPC in the News

NPC serves as a trusted resource on issues related to biopharmaceutical innovation, patient access, the value of medicines, and more. See below for recent articles citing NPC's research and expertise. 

Use of Copay Offset Programs Expected to Rise | AMCP Nexus 2024

October 15, 2024 | Managed Healthcare Executive  Read Here

Breaking Down Co-Pay Accumulators, Maximizers and the Impact on Patients

October 18, 2024 | AJMC  Read Here

Health Policy Challenges and Innovative Solutions at AMCP Nexus 2024

October 9, 2024 | AJMC  Read Here

The Last Domino Falls: OptumRx to Exclude Humira® From Some Drug Formularies Beginning January 2025

September 11, 2024 | Biosimilars Review and Report  Read Here

Which Top HEOR Trends Will Have The Biggest Impact On Clinical Research? 

September 6, 2024 | Clinical Leader  Read Here

Prescription Rebates: Agreements, Guarantees, and More, with NPC's John O'Brien, PharmD, MPH, and Julie Patterson, PharmD, PhD

August 23, 2024 | Capital Rx podcast  Listen Now

PBM Rebating Practices: How Much Do Employer Plan Sponsors Really Know?

August 29, 2024 | Pink Sheet  Subscribers Read Here

Value Viewpoint – recent developments in US healthcare value and access with Kimberly Westrich: July – August 2024 

September 3, 2024 | The Evidence Base  Read Here

Health Equity & Access Weekly Roundup

August 24, 2024 | AJMC  Read Here

Reaction Mixed After CMS Unveils Negotiated Medicare Drug Prices

August 24, 2024 | AJMC  Read Here

The most revealing information on Medicare drug prices yet to come 

August 16, 2024 | BioCentury  Read Here

Medicare Unveils Negotiated Prices, But Near-Term Opportunity To Learn From Process Is Limited

August 15, 2024 | Pink Sheet  Subscribers Read Here

Rare Disease Community Pushes Back Against Inflation Reduction Act

August 4, 2024 | Policy & Medicine  Read Here

Employers Face New Risks in Accepting Drug Rebates 

August 12, 2024 | The Mahoney Group  Read Here

The Last Domino Falls: OptumRx to Exclude Humira® From Some Drug Formularies Beginning January 2025

September 11, 2024 | Biosimilars Review and Report  Read Here

Dr John M. O'Brien Highlights Critical Role of Rebates in Employer Benefit Choices    

August 5, 2024 | AJMC  Watch Now

Time for an ‘honest conversation’ about drug pricing, O’Brien says

July 11, 2024 | BioCentury (The BioCentury Show podcast)  Listen Now

The National Pharmaceutical Council Releases New Primer Highlighting Unanswered Questions and Unintended Consequences of State Prescription Drug Affordability Boards

July 9, 2024 | AcademyHealth July Newsletter  Read Here

Value Viewpoint – recent developments in US healthcare value and access with Kimberly Westrich: May – June 2024

July 8, 2024 | The Evidence Base  Read Here

Additional Coverage

News Highlights from January - June 2024

Global patient study identifies key reasons driving nonadherence to self-administered cancer medications

June 27, 2024 | AP News    Read Here

Protecting the 340B Program Vital for Providing the Best Care to Patients With HIV    

June 21, 2024 | AJMC    Watch Now

US Drug Negotiations Plan Shifts Focus for Rare Disease Programs    

June 17, 2024 | Bloomberg Law    Read Here 

Regaining Trust in the Pharma Industry    

June 13, 2024 | Pharmaceutical Executive    Read Here

How the IRA Has Unraveled the “Biotech Social Contract”    

June 12, 2024 | American Journal of Accountable Care    Read Here

Forging ahead with US and EU healthcare policy changes: balancing sustainability, innovation and patient access in the era of IRA and EU HTA

June 11, 2024 | The Evidence Base    Read Here

Navigating uncertainty: redefining healthcare value in an evolving healthcare landscape    

June 5, 2024 | The Evidence Base    Read Here

US Pharma and Biotech Summit 2024: Solving Drug Pricing    

May 21, 2024 | Pharmaceutical Executive    Read Here

Kimberly Westrich's ICER Recommendations to Improve Drug Pricing Data Accuracy    

May 20, 2024 | AJMC    Read Here 

Drug pricing now and to come – it’s complicated    

May 17, 2024 | Medical Economics    Read Here

Patient access to medicines must be the focus of US drug pricing policy    

May 16, 2024 | Pharmaceutical Technology    Read Here

Sanders Seeks Denmark’s Help To Lower Weight-Loss Drug Prices, Industry Says It Could Backfire    

May 16, 2024 | InsideHealthPolicy    Read Here

ISPOR 2024: Key Takeaways From Leading Speakers    

May 13, 2024 | AJMC    Watch Here

Looking Back on ISPOR 2024: Hot Policy Topics, Welcome Focus on Employers, and More    

May 10, 2024 | AJMC    Watch Here

How the IRA May Shift Economic Incentives for Drug Manufacturers: Dr Julie Patterson    

May 8, 2024 | AJMC    Watch Here 

Kimberly Westrich Talks the Hidden Costs of 340B to Employers    

May 7, 2024 | AJMC    Watch Here

ISPOR 2024 daily round-ups: Day 2    

May 7, 2024 | The Evidence Base    Read Here

ISPOR 2024 daily round-ups: Day 1    

May 6, 2024 | The Evidence Base    Read Here

ICER and NEWDIGS at Tufts Medical Center release white paper addressing the complexities of financing gene therapies

April 25, 2024 | The Evidence Base    Read Here

How Potential Unintended Impacts of the IRA May Affect Patients: Dr Julie Patterson    

April 24, 2024 | AJMC    Watch Now

MHE Interviews NPC's James Motyka at AMCP2024

April 22, 2024 | Managed Healthcare Executive    Watch Now

AMCP 2024: Key Takeaways From Leading Speakers. Kimberly Westrich

April 22, 2024 | American Journal of Managed Care    Watch Now          

Kimberly Westrich Addresses Patient-Centricity Strategies, Benefits in Health Care        

April 18, 2024 | American Journal of Managed Care     Watch Now

AMCP 2024 to Bring Opportunities for Managed Care Pharmacy Stakeholders to Explore, Address Policy Challenges 

April 9, 2024 | The American Journal of Managed Care    Read here

New Report Makes Recommendations for Advancing Health Equity and Fostering Patient Engagement in the Implementation of CMS’ Drug Price Negotiation Program 

April 9, 2024 | Managed Healthcare Executive    Read here

What Will Change in the Pharma Industry Look Like? 

March 29, 2024 | Pharmaceutical Commerce    Read here

Dr Julie Patterson Discusses Potential Unintended Effects of the IRA on Drug Development

April 3, 2024 | The American Journal of Managed Care

In an interview with Rose McNulty of the American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC), NPC Senior Director of Research Dr. Julie Patterson discussed the findings of NPC’s study on the potential impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on small molecule drug research and development investments toward subsequent indications. AJMC published the recorded interview on April 3 on the AJMC website.     Watch the interview

New Data Demonstrates Disproportionate Access to Specialty Drugs by Wage and Race 

March 21, 2024, Chain Drug Review    Read here

Value Viewpoint – Recent Developments in US Healthcare Value and Access with Kimberly Westrich: January–February 2024 

March 19, 2024 | The Evidence Base    Read here

340B Small Share of Drugmaker Revenue, Says Hospital-Backed Report 

March 14, 2024 | 340B Report     Read here

Biden’s Pharma Plans Keep Industry Fighting On All Fronts 

March 7, 2024 | Pink Sheet    Read here

Drug Price Negotiations Could Discourage Additional Approvals: Study 

March 6 | BioSpace     Read here

Data Supporting Drug Price Hikes Deemed Faulty 

March 1 | Specialty Pharmacy Continuum    Read here

The Cost of the 340B Program 

March 2024 | BIO on LinkedIn    Read here

Designing Affordable Healthcare Plans For All Workforce Segments 

March 2024 | Diversity Plus    Read here

The FDA Could Help Save My Son From a Rare Disease 

February 27 | The Wall Street Journal

Published during Rare Disease Week, this commentary cites NPC’s IRA-related research.  Read here

The End for QALYs in Federal Us Drug Value Assessments? 

February 12 | The Evidence Base

NPC Chief Strategy Officer Kimberly Westrich was quoted and featured in this story from The Evidence Base, which covered the debate in Washington, DC, over QALYs and QALY alternatives.    Read here

NPC Shares New IRA-Related Research in AJMC 

February 2 | Chain Drug Review    Read here 

How the IRA Disincentivizes New Indications — and How to Fix it 

February 2 | BioCentury    Read here

The Washington Post/KFF Health 202 Newsletter on Drug Price Negotiation Program 

February 1 | The Washington Post: The Health 202     Read here

Mostafa Kamal Talks Evolution of PBM Industry, Latest Developments, in Fierce Healthcare Panel

January 30 | Prime Therapeutics    Read here

PhRMA, BIO Push Back Against Rare String of Setbacks 

January 24 | BioSpace    Story here

J.P. Morgan 2024: Optimism With An Undercurrent Of Tension

January 10, 2024 | Scrip Citeline Commercial

At #JPM2024, NPC President and CEO John O'Brien spoke with Jessica Merrill of Scrip Citeline Commercial and shared the importance of innovation in how we pay for medicines in this golden age of innovation, saying:

“The ability to not just treat unmet need but potentially have durable treatments or cures is a really big deal...Unfortunately, we are trying to pay for those therapies with the reimbursement system that was created for statins and blood pressure drugs. We need as much innovation in reimbursement as we have in pharmaceutical technology, and that is going to take everybody working together.”

Subscribers can read here.

Health care outlook 2024: John O’Brien, president and CEO, NPC

January 9, 2024 | Chain Drug Review 

In a commentary for Chain Drug Review, NPC's John O'Brien highlights key health policy issues to watch in 2024 - including the IRA's Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, state-based Patient Drug Affordability Boards (PDABs), and reforms related to 340B and PBMs. He noted that each issue underscores the need for trusted evidence and research to inform decisions that benefit patients.  

Read here

News Highlights from 2023

Value viewpoint – recent developments in US healthcare value and access with Kimberly Westrich

The Evidence Base | Nov - Dec 2023 Issue

NPC's Kimberly Westrich discussed the recent updates in US healthcare value and access during an interview with The Evidence Base

Read the interview here

Patti Peeples speaks with Kimberly Westrich

The Evidence Base | December 6, 2023

In The Evidence Base's latest episode of "Patti’s People," Patti Peeples speaks with NPC's Kimberly Westrich about value assessment, including how ICER’s frameworks are being used by payers, approaches to valuing cell and gene therapies, and CMS' implementation of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. 

Watch here

Kimberly Westrich joins NPC as chief strategy officer

Politico Influence | December 6, 2023

News of Kimberly Westrich's return to NPC as Chief Strategy Officer was featured in Politico

Read here

‘Alternative’ Model For Patient Assistance Draws Stakeholder Ire

Specialty Pharmacy Continuum | November 20, 2023

In this article about alternative funding programs (also called specialty drug cost containment models), NPC President and CEO, John M. O'Brien, PharmD, MPH, discussed the risks to individual patient access and the health system.

Read the article

POC for Verve? Plus IRA & East-West deals

BioCentury This Week Podcast | November 13, 2023

In BioCentury Inc's latest podcast episode, Steve Usdin and Jeff Cranmer discuss the NPC study published in Health Affairs Forefront examining the potential unintended consequences of the IRA’s drug pricing provisions. The conversation about the study, led by NPC's John O'Brien, Julie Patterson and James Motyka, starts at 7:05.

Listen here

Senate Finance Committee Republicans Oppose CMS Plan to Redefine Medicaid Best Price

340B News | November 7, 2023

NPC's John O'Brien shared perspectives with the 340B Report's Tom Mirga about CMS' proposal to redefine Medicaid Best Price, which is used to calculate 340B discounts and is included in CMS' Medicaid Drug Rebate Program (MDRP) proposed regulation. John O'Brien in the 340B Report

Read here (subscription required 🔒) 

Requiring Transparency and Value-Based Care in the Pharmaceutical Industry

The Real Chemistry Podcast | October 26, 2023
In this discussion, NPC's John O'Brien and Real Chemistry's Jim Weiss focus on the growing government role in drug pricing, the rise in patient out-of-pocket costs, and the importance of health policy research in guiding policy. 

Listen here

ICER’s Faux Updates

Healthcare Policy Pop Podcast | OCT. 5, 2023

NPC's John O'Brien discussed the latest changes to ICER's value assessment framework with Healthcare Policy Pop, a podcast by Patients Rising Now. In the conversation, he highlights the reasons why ICER's latest framework may hinder patient access to care. Healthcare Policy Pop also cited NPC's statement on ICER's updates in the resources they highlighted for their September 28th episode featuring a discussion on ICER's work.

Listen to the episode

Uncertainties Still Loom Over IRA Negotiations

AIS Health, September 7, 2023

NPC's John O'Brien and Julie Patterson highlighted the unknowns that remain around the implementation of the IRA’s drug-related provisions. 

Read here

Restricted access to specialty drugs on the rise: What employers, advisors need to know

Benefits Pro, August 31, 2023

NPC's Rochelle Henderson spoke with Benefits Pro about the study published in Health Affairs Scholar demonstrating that health plans are increasingly restrictive when covering specialty medicines.  

Read here

Drugmakers, investors say they've already changed bets in IRA's first year

Axios, August 29, 2023

Healthcare reporter Tina Reed quoted NPC's John O'Brien in her story of CMS's newly-announced price negotiations drug list.

Read here

Biden Administration targets drugs from J&J, Merck for controversial Medicare price negotiations

Yahoo Finance, August 29, 2023

Senior finance reporter, Anjalee Khemlani cited NPC's John O'Brien in her coverage of CMS's announcement, "Many important questions related to patient input, patient access and negotiated formularies, and therapeutic alternatives remain unanswered even as the process begins in earnest. There are also significant unintended consequences that are not yet well understood, such as how this process may create perverse incentives delaying launches, reducing subsequent indications, and chilling evidence generation."

Read here

Pharmaceutical industry rips 'draconian' price negotiation provision

Fierce Healthcare, August 29, 2023

Reporter Noah Tong quoted NPC's John O'Brien in his coverage of CMS's price negotiations list, "There are also significant unintended consequences that are not yet well understood, such as how this process may create perverse incentives delaying launches, reducing subsequent indications and chilling evidence generation.”

Read here

IRA drug list underscores challenges for industry

BioCentury, August 29, 2023

NPC's John O'Brien shared insights with reporter Steve Usdin. 

BioCentury

Subscribers can read the full story

From Enemy Territory? NPC Nabs Ex-ICER VP

Pink Sheet, August 11, 2023

Sarah Karlin-Smith's article spotlights NPC's expanded leadership team.

Subscribers can read here

NPC adds executive leaders, names Dr. Jon Campbell as chief science officer

Chain Drug Review, July 31, 2023

News of two additions to the NPC leadership team - Jon Campbell, PhD, MS as Chief Science Officer and Michael Pratt as Chief Communications Officer - was featured in this article, as well as in Politico Playbook.

Read the article in Chain Drug Review

Senate Targets Pharmacy Middlemen Amid Drug Price Deal Talks

Bloomberg Law, July 26, 2023

This article examines the Senate Finance Committee's work to address the practices of pharmacy benefit managers and includes perspective from NPC's John O'Brien. 

Read here

10 Takeaways from LDI’s Drug Pricing Conference

Penn LDI, May 17, 2023

This recap of Penn LDI's Health Care Drug Pricing Conference quotes NPC's Dr. O'Brien discussing the potential harms of the drug pricing provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act. He says, “I feel like we’re really close to hitting an artery. What is this going to do to innovation and development?"

Read here

PBMs, the Brokers Who Control Drug Prices, Finally Get Washington's Attention

Kaiser Health News, May 11, 2023

NPC weighs in on efforts to address the opaque practices of pharmacy benefit managers. 

Read here

Co-Pay Assistance Works, and It's More Needed than Ever

Chain Drug Review, April 24, 2023

In this commentary, NPC's John M. O'Brien examines co-pay accumulators and the risks of benefit manager and insurance plan policies deterring adherence to medicines people need.

Read here


No Time to Be Complacent: Continuous Reform Needed to Achieve Pharmacoequity

The American Journal of Managed Care, March 24, 2023

Read here

It's Not Just the P&T Committee. Payers Are Putting Value Assessment Committees, Filters on Drug Coverage Decisions

Managed Healthcare Executive, March 22, 2023

Read here

The President’s victory lap on the success of price controls is premature 

Sarasota Herald-Tribune, March 18, 2023

In this commentary, NPC's John M. O’Brien discusses the potential effects of new price controls and what the future holds for Medicare.

Read here

President Biden’s Proposal To Expand Medicare Price Controls A Sign Of Things To Come

Pink Sheet, March 8, 2023

Read here

Health Affairs Spending Council Releases Its Road Map For Action

Health Affairs Forefront, February 8, 2023

Read here

ICER: Majority of Payer Coverage Policies Support 'Key Elements of Fair Access' in Formularies

Endpoints News, January 17, 2023

(subscription required 🔒) Read here

Read more NPC in the News

Podcast: The Myth of Average: Time for Change

AiArthritis Voices Podcast, April 3, 2022

Tiffany Westrich-Robertson, CEO of AiArthritis and a person living with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, speaks with NPC's John O'Brien about the topic of the importance of innovation and treatment access in this podcast episode. 

Listen now

AMCP 2022: High Out-of-Pocket Costs Are Associated with Nonadherence Among Patients Taking Oral Cancer Drugs

Managed Healthcare Executive, March 31, 2022

This articles describes NPC-sponsored research presented at the AMCP annual meeting that shows that almost half of cancer patients on oral therapies are nonadherent.

Read here

Price Transparency Healthcare Policies Reduce Out-Of-Pocket Costs

PharmaNewsIntelligence, March 18, 2022

NPC President and CEO John M. O'Brien weighs in on issues around the importance of price transparency in health care and reducing patient out-of-pocket costs to improve access to medicines.

National Pharmaceutical Council Executive to Give Hartman Lecture

The Oxford Eagle (Miss.), March 8, 2022

The local Oxford, Miss., newspaper reports on NPC President and CEO John M. O’Brien presenting the annual Charles W. Hartman Memorial Lecture on Friday, March 11, at the University of Mississippi.

ICER to Develop Annual Drug Price Hike Reports For California

InsideHealthPolicy, March 4, 2022 (subscription required)

An article about the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) developing two reports for California cites NPC's concerns about ICER's flawed report methodology and notes that NPC President and CEO John O'Brien cautioned health policymakers in California against using the reports for policies that could harm patients.

Adopting Good Practices for High-Deductible Health Plans Can Help Employers Build Better Health Benefits

American Journal of Accountable Care, March 4, 2022

NPC and Gallagher Research & Insights discuss results from a survey demonstrating that employers are receptive to the idea of adopting good practices for health savings account-eligible high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and, in many cases, are already implementing them. 

Experts Discuss How Employers Can Take on HSA HDHP Challenges While Encouraging Value-Based Care

American Journal of Managed Care, February 20, 2022

AJMC provides highlights from part 2 of a two-part webinar series, hosted by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions and moderated by NPC's Kimberly Westrich, focused on employer opportunities for improving value and crafting smarter deductibles in HSA-eligible HDHPs.

9 Employer Best Practices for High Deductible Health Plan Design

HealthPayerIntelligence, February 16, 2022

This article focuses on the recent report from NPC and Gallagher Research & Insights on ways employers can more effectively implement high-deductible health plans.

How Employers Can Leverage Value, Health Equity Incentives to Address Health Plan Affordability Concerns

American Journal of Managed Care, February 6, 2022

AJMC provides highlights from part 1 of a two-part webinar series, hosted by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions and featuring NPC's Kimberly Westrich, addressing issues in health care coverage affordability and how equitable health benefits and value-based design can reduce cost while improving employee engagement.

The Myth of Average: Why Individual Patient Differences Matter

American Journal of Managed Care, January 19, 2022

AJMC featured on its website NPC's newly updated booklet The Myth of Average: Why Individual Patient Differences Matter, which explores the barriers patients face when navigating the health care system.

New CMS Rule Fails to Fix Medicaid Best Price

BioCentury (subscription required), January 14, 2022

NPC's Health Affairs Forefront article "Medicaid Best Price Volatility Could Inhibit Payment Innovation" was featured in this BioCentury piece on Medicaid best price legislation impeding patient access to expensive gene therapies.

Addressing Access Burdens

Pharmaceutical Executive, January 11, 2022

NPC President and CEO John M. O'Brien discusses the increasing barriers for patients to receiving needed therapies and how pharmaceutical companies are reaching out to employers directly to talk about health benefits. 

Video: Kimberly Westrich on Micro-, Macro-Level Approaches to Improve Value-Based Benefit Design

American Journal of Managed Care, January 6, 2022

The final video in a four-part series with NPC Vice President of Health Services Research Kimberly Westrich addresses future opportunities for growth regarding value-based benefits. View part onepart two, and part three of the video series. 

Pharmacy Outlook: John O’Brien, NPC

Chain Drug Review, January 3, 2022

To kick off the new year, NPC's John M. O’Brien writes in Chain Drug Review about the need for a more informed public discussion about the role that prescription drugs play in our health care system and in improving the lives of patients.