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. 

Reading the news on the phone.

Catch up on the latest news stories, commentaries and conversations citing NPC's research and expertise. 

 

NPC's John O'Brien Discusses Policy Barriers to Cancer Innovation

February 13, 2025 | The Cancer Letter

We owe it to every patient waiting for a breakthrough to ensure that our policies accelerate, rather than arrest, the pace of discovery.In a commentary published in The Cancer Letter, NPC President and CEO, John M. O'Brien, PharmD, MPH, discusses the impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act on the development of innovative cancer treatments. He highlights findings from NPC research demonstrating a reduction in industry-funded, post-approval clinical trials for cancer treatments and that the IRA is already influencing investment strategy and decisions, with a particular impact on small molecule drugs. 

Subscribers Read More

 

NPC's John O'Brien Interviewed on Leerink Podcast

January 8, 2026 | Leerink Partners PodcastPerspectives by the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics

Melanie Whittington, PhD, Head of the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics, talks with John M. O’Brien, PharmD, MPH, President and CEO of the National Pharmaceutical Council

Melanie Whittington, Head of the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics, hosted NPC President and CEO John O'Brien for a discussion on the golden age of biopharmaceutical innovation and the business risk of health policy. He discusses why continued innovation depends on building a world where advances in science are valued by society, accessible to patients, and sustainably reimbursed.

 

 

Listen on Apple   Listen on Spotify 

 

Coverage of ICER's Newest Report Flags Shortcomings Described by NPC

October 23, 2025

NPC provided detailed analysis to reporters covering ICER's inaugural Launch Price and Access Report. NPC's Kimberly Westrich detailed how the report paints an incomplete view of the value of medicines to patients and society, and risks misinterpretation of the misleading “overspending” analysis - concerns captured in NPC's blog post. Reporters from Reuters, STAT, Managed Healthcare Executive, and Endpoints cited NPC's critique in their coverage of the report.

Excerpt from Reuters story: ICER's report "fails to capture the full value medicines provide over their lifecycle to patients, health systems, and society," said Kimberly Westrich, chief strategy officer at National Pharmaceutical Council, a research group supported by biopharmaceutical companies. Only "overspending" due to drugs priced above ICER's arbitrary benchmarks is included, while any "underspending" is ignored, Westrich added.

Read the Story in Reuters

Subscribers Read the Story in STAT

Read the Story in Endpoints

Read the Story in Managed Healthcare Executive

 

NPC's John O'Brien Shares Perspectives on CBO Update with STAT

October 20, 2025 | STAT

NPC's John O'Brien shared insights with STAT's Ed Silverman for his story on the CBO's revised cost estimate of the orphan drug exemption reforms included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Dr. O'Brien's remarks draw on NPC's research demonstrating the unintended consequences of the original provisions within the Inflation Reduction Act, described in NPC's Policy & Evidence Brief, "Early Signals of the IRA on Orphan Drugs."  

From the STAT story: John O’Brien who heads National Pharmaceutical Council, an industry-funded research group, wrote us that “there have been a number of changes to the CBO score on the IRA over the past few years – and it remains to be seen how the law will impact seniors at the pharmacy counter. “One thing hasn’t changed: the impact of this law on drug development,” he continued. “Our (organization) observed early signals that fewer uses of drugs were being pursued for people living with rare disease. Combine that with the premium increases, decreased choices and uncertain pharmacy access and it adds up to a bad deal for American patients.”

Subscribers Read the Story in STAT

 

340B Report Highlights Hearing Citing NPC Research

August 5, 2025 | 340B Report

Writing for the 340B Report, reporter Shannon Young highlighted comments from Senator Bill Cassidy, who chairs the Senate HELP Committee, during a hearing on healthcare affordability. Sen. Cassidy pointed to NPC research demonstrating that 340B program growth is associated with meaningful increases in commercial insurance premiums.   

The common understanding among legislators—whether true or not—is that the discounts received by the hospitals are supposed to make health care services more affordable and accessible for low-income and uninsured patients. But the law is actually unclear and some hospitals do this and some don’t. In fact, many don’t pass discounts onto patients, requiring them to pay list price for drugs when the hospital, itself, is getting a markedly reduced cost,” Cassidy said. “In fact, a recent study by the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) found that 340B may make employer-sponsored insurance more expensive, costing workers’ an estimated $4.5 billion from 2017 to 2023.” NPC is a research organization that’s members include large drug manufacturers and biotechnology companies.

Subscribers Read Here

 

NPC Research on Orphan Drug Impact Cited in Bloomberg Law

July 23, 2025 | Bloomberg Law

In an article exploring the impact of the orphan drug reform measure included in the recently passed budget and policy bill, reporter Nyah Phengsitthy cited NPC's research on the unintended consequences of the IRA on orphan drug development. 

An analysis published in May by the National Pharmaceutical Council found the percentage of drugs with a first orphan designation that later received a second designation decreased from about 12% to 6% following the passage of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act that created the negotiation program.

Read the Article

 

Commentary on the IRA’s Unintended Disruption to Innovation Highlights NPC Research

July 21, 2025 | Forbes

Writing for Forbes, Sally Pipes of the Pacific Research Institute cited NPC’s analysis of the early signals of the IRA’s impact on orphan drugs in her column calling for Congress to “roll back price controls on prescription drugs altogether." 

And there’s evidence that companies have been curtailing their research into orphan drugs, in particular. According to the National Pharmaceutical Council, “the percentage of drugs with a first orphan designation that later received a second designation decreased by 48.0%” after the Inflation Reduction Act passed.

Read the Commentary

 

NPC's John O'Brien Featured in Podcast Discussing the Future of Access

July 17, 2025 | Prescription for Better Access

How can the U.S. better support and improve prescription drug affordability and access while sustaining innovation? NPC President and CEO John O'Brien joined Sarah Emond of ICER, Mark Hansan of CareMetx, Scott Howell of Blue Line Advisors, Annette Powers of Bristol Myers Squibb, and Ray Pressburger of Accenture for a panel discussion at US ACCESS Forum 2025 on how the U.S. can better support and improve prescription drug affordability and access while sustaining innovation. The session was recorded live for an episode of Mr. Hansan and Dr. Howell’s podcast, "Prescription for Better Access."  

Listen on Spotify

Listen on Apple Music

 

NPC Research Informs Coverage of CMS Efforts

July 16, 2025 | The Evidence Base

The Evidence Base explored CMS's launch of the Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Access Model, an initiative designed to promote access to innovative treatments for sickle cell disease for patients covered by Medicaid. The story cites an NPC publication in the Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research, "Improving access to gene therapies: a holistic view of current challenges and future policy solutions in the United States."

As Tyler D Wagner and colleagues from the National Pharmaceutical Council noted: “The unique characteristics of gene therapy treatments, in conjunction with uncertainties about long-term durability and future market competition, necessitate the development of innovative models to assess the value of these treatments, promote appropriate payment and advance meaningful patient access while maintaining incentives for future research and development.”

Read the Article

 

New York Times Coverage of Policy Bill Cites NPC Research on Orphan Drug Development

July 3, 2025 | New York Times

In an article examining the policy bill passed by Congress, New York Times reporter Rebecca Robbins cited an NPC Policy & Evidence Brief highlighting the IRA's impact on the development of orphan drugs. The legislation includes a provision that exempts "drugs that are approved to treat multiple rare diseases" from being subject to Medicare's Drug Price Negotiation Program.  

Read the Article

 

Wall Street Journal Editorial Board Applauds Orphan Drug Reform Measure, Citing NPC Research 

July 3, 2025 | Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal's Editorial Board highlighted the repeal the Inflation Reduction Act’s price controls for drugs for rare diseases, lauding it as a "hidden gem" in the budget legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025. The editorial highlighted that "the law has discouraged companies from studying orphan drugs for multiple rare diseases" and cited NPC's research examining the IRA's narrowly-written orphan drug exclusion to illustrate the unintended impact of the IRA's original language and the need for the new provision. 

Several orphan drug makers have canceled studies for follow-on indications since the IRA controls took effect. A recent analysis by the National Pharmaceutical Council found that the share of orphan drugs that received a second orphan drug designation fell by nearly half after the law passed—to 6.3% from 12.1% pre-IRA.

Read the Editorial

 

Policy & Evidence Brief Informs Coverage of IRA Reform Efforts

June 17, 2025 | Fierce Pharma 

Fierce Pharma reported on Congress's budget reconciliation process, citing the NPC Policy & Evidence Brief exploring early signals of the impact of the IRA on orphan drug development.

...advocates for the industry argue that the law causes unintended consequences by disincentivizing investment in post-approval clinical trials of rare disease therapies. An analysis performed by the National Pharmaceutical Council found that post-IRA, the percentage of drugs with an initial orphan designation that went on to receive a second designation decreased by 48%—from 12.1% to 6.3%—despite a steady increase pre-IRA.

Read Now

 

NPC Research Highlighted During BIO Event

June 12, 2025 | Bio.News

NPC Chief Science Officer Jon Campbell shared NPC's research findings and other unintended consequences of the IRA during a recent BIO Patient Advocacy Coffee Chat. He noted that “developers of drugs with a single orphan designation may be less likely to pursue a second or multiple orphan drug designations in additional rare diseases, because under the current interpretation of the orphan drug exclusion by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that would make the drugs eligible for the drug price negotiation.”

Read Now

 

Budget Bill Coverage Cites NPC Research  

June 11, 2025 | PharmaVoice

In an analysis of budget bill provisions aimed at reforming the Inflation Reduction Act, PharmaVoice cites NPC's recent Policy and Evidence Brief, "Early Signals of the IRA on Orphan Drugs" highlighting research on the IRA's impact on orphan drug development. 

Currently, the program exempts orphan drugs from price negotiations if they only have one indication for rare disease. The law made it less likely for pharma companies to pursue more rare disease indications, according to industry groups such as the National Pharmaceutical Council. A brief by the council found that the percentage of orphan drugs that received a second indication dropped 48% after passage of the IRA.

Read the Story

Read the NPC Policy & Evidence Brief

 

NPC's Jon Campbell Featured on Leerink Podcast

May 21, 2025 | "Perspectives" Podcast 

NPC's Jon Campbell on the Leerink Perspectives podcast

 

NPC Chief Science Officer Jon Campbell joined host Mel Whittington on the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics Podcast “Perspectives” for a conversation on drug price evaluations and how cost-effectiveness assessments are a tool, not a rule. They discussed some of NPC’s recent research coauthored with Dr. Whittington in AJMC and Value in Health.

 

Listen on Apple    Listen on Spotify 
 

NPC's John O'Brien Shares Reflections on Managed Care

May 5, 2025 | AJMC

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the American Journal of Managed Care, NPC President and CEO John O'Brien sat down with the outlet for a Q&A on what has changed over the past three decades and what’s next for managed care. You can watch Dr. O’Brien in short videos discussing the relationship between government policies and patient access and the most pressing policy issues that contribute to the rising cost of health care.

Read the Interview

Watch the Video on Patient Access

Watch the Video on Policy Priorities

 

NPC's John O'Brien Featured in Coverage of Asembia AX25

May 1, 2025 | AJMC

AJMC's coverage of the Asembia AX25 conference in Las Vegas highlighted a session featuring NPC President and CEO John O'Brien and NPC Board Chair Jen Norton, Senior Vice President, Head of U.S. Patient and Market Access for Takeda. The discussion explored how the “Patient-as-Payer” era is impacting patient access and affordability.  “I would like to see more of a focus on patient out-of-pocket cost when we start to think about how new drugs go to market, and if we can combine that with the value to the patient or the value to the purchaser, I think we'd be in a much better place,” said O’Brien.

Read More

 

NPC Research on IRA Impact Cited

April 8, 2025 | Pharmaceutical Commerce

In an article headlined "Maintaining R&D Investments in the IRA Era" Jesse Mendelson of Model N cites NPC research published in Health Affairs examining how the IRA could delay pharmaceutical launches, reduce indications, and chill evidence generation.
 

Read More

 

Coverage of AMCP 2025 Features NPC Experts

April 3 & April 7, 2025 | Managed Healthcare Executive

Managed Healthcare Executive interviewed NPC Senior Director of Research, Julie Patterson, PharmD, PhD and President and CEO, John O'Brien, PharmD, MPH, on topics including the rapid growth the 340B Drug Discount program and the impact of the IRA's Medicare Drug Price Negotiation program, including the ripple effects on patient access and the 340B program and the effects on Medicare Part D formularies and PBMs.

Watch: "Impact of IRA Drug Negotiation on Part D Formularies and PBMs" with Dr. Patterson


Watch: "Evidence Suggests IRA is a ‘Poorly Designed Policy’" with Dr. Patterson


Watch: "340B Program Is Driving Up Costs and Needs Urgent Reform" with Dr. O'Brien

"Impact of IRA Drug Negotiation on Part D Formularies and PBMs" with Dr. Patterson

 

NPC Research Highlighted in News from AMCP 2025

April 2 & April 3 | AJMC 

AJMC highlighted presentations of NPC research delivered by Chief Strategy Officer Kimberly Westrich Kimberly Westrich, MA and Senior Director of Research, Julie Patterson, PharmD, PhD. Ms. Westrich discussed the importance of defining the role of patient representatives on pharmacy-and-therapeutics (P&T) committees in managed care plans and Dr. Patterson shared insights on how the IRA’s Maximum Fair Price could harm patient access to medications through increased formulary restrictiveness.

Read Now: The IRA’s Unintended Consequences for Drug Pricing and Coverage with Dr. Patterson

Watch: "Steps to Strengthen Patient Representation in Managed Care Decision-Making" with Ms. Westrich

"Steps to Strengthen Patient Representation in Managed Care Decision-Making" with Ms. Westrich
 

NPC's Kimberly Westrich Explains Copay Accumulators, Maximizers, and AFPs

April 2 & April 7, 2025 | Pharma Commerce

In a video interview series with Pharma Commerce while onsite at the 2025 ACCESS USA Hub and Specialty Pharmacy Models East conference, NPC Chief Strategy Officer, Kimberly Westrich, MA, shared the basics of accumulators, maximizers, and alternate funding programs and how these cost-shifting programs impact patients and the broad healthcare ecosystem. Ms. Westrich provided additional context on NPC research regarding the growing use of copay accumulators and maximizers during a presentation at the conference.

Watch: "Hubs East 2025: How Various Programs Affect Patient Care and Health Equity" with Kimberly Westrich

Watch: "Hubs East 2025: Understanding Copay Accumulators, Maximizers, and Alternative Funding Programs" with Kimberly Westrich
 

NPC CSO Jon Campbell Cited in Coverage of Drug Launch Price Publication

March 26 2025 | The Evidence Base

In an article headlined "Looking beyond drug launch prices in cost-effectiveness analyses," The Evidence Base discusses a publication in the American Journal of Managed Care that explores why comparing a launch price with a value-based price from a conventional cost-effectiveness analysis requires further examination.As Jonathan Campbell emphasizes, this perspective underscores the need for nuance: “This commentary is an important reminder that cost-effectiveness analyses include both science and judgment. That’s why we ought to view them as a tool, not a rule.”

Read Now

 

Kimberly Westrich Discusses Employers and PBMs

March 13, 2025 | AIS Health

Jill Drachenberg of AIS Health cited NPC Chief Strategy Officer Kimberly Westrich in her coverage of a webinar hosted by the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions exploring how employers can demand more from PBM contracts.  

Subscribers Read Here
 

ACCESS USA Profiles Kimberly Westrich in Advance of Conference

March 2025 | ACCESS USA

In advance of the Hub and Specialty Pharmacy Models East Conference, ACCESS USA profiled NPC Chief Strategy Officer Kimberly Westrich, the work of the National Pharmaceutical Council, and her conference panel session focused on copay accumulators, maximizers, and alternative funding programs. 

Read the Profile 

 

340B Research Cited

March 5, 2025 | PhRMA Blog

Writing for the PhRMA Blog, Reid Porter cited an NPC-supported report from IQVIA examining the costs of the 340B program to states. 
Lost rebates on prescriptions filled in 340B increased employer health care costs by more than $6.6 billion, and state and local government plans by more than $1 billion in 2023 according to IQVIA. 340B contract pharmacy mandate bills would further increase this cost by $1.9 billion for employers and $273 million for state and local government health plans.

Read Now 

 

NPC White Paper Examining Access to Cell and Gene Therapies Highlighted

March 4, 2025 | Informa Connect

Writing for Informa Connect, Lisa Henderson highlighted takeaways from the white paper published by NPC exploring the challenges patients and caregivers face in accessing cell and gene therapies.For industry, the paper delves into stakeholder solutions, specifically calling out new or innovative payment models that could help inform reimbursement, and thus incentivizing the development of CGTs.

Read Now 
 

Coverage of Medicare Price Negotiations Cites John O'Brien

January 20, 2025 | The Evidence Base

Reporter Joanne Walker explored the implications of CMS's second cycle of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, quoting NPC President and CEO, John M. O'Brien, PharmD, MPH.Commenting on LinkedIn, John O’Brien (President and CEO, National Pharmaceutical Council) questioned the rushed timeline and lack of transparency, stating: “Unfortunately, the rush to get this list out before Monday’s inauguration tells you just how political this all is. We’re now watching as CMS kicks off the ‘Class of 2027’ while there are still so many troubling unanswered questions about what evidence CMS values, how they use submitted evidence and patient input in arriving at a price, and how effectuation of the set prices will go.”

Read Here

 

John O'Brien Discusses Pill Penalty 

January 17, 2025 | Bloomberg Law

Nyah Phengsitthy of Bloomberg Law explored the implications of the treatments selected for the second round of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, and included insights from NPC President and CEO, John M. O'Brien, PharmD, MPH, about the pill penalty.The unintended consequences are also fueled by the latest list, said John O’Brien, president of the National Pharmaceutical Council. This includes “delayed launches, fewer subsequent indications, less post-approval research, all with uncertain impact for the patient,” O’Brien said.

Read Now

 

2025 Health Care Outlook from John O'Brien

January 17, 2025 | Chain Drug Review

In a commentary for Chain Drug Review, NPC President and CEO, John M. O'Brien, PharmD, MPH, discusses the importance of informing health policy conversations with evidence and ­science.

Read the Commentary 

 

NPC Research Cited in Commentary by Joe Grogan

Dec 28, 2024 | Townhall

In this commentary, Joe Grogan, a Nonresident Senior Scholar at the USC Schaeffer Institute who served as director of the White House Domestic Policy Council during President Donald J. Trump's first term, cites NPC research in his analysis of the Inflation Reduction Act. 

Read Here

 

STAT Story on ICER Report Quotes Kimberly Westrich 

December 19, 2024 | STAT
​
This story examining ICER's most recent "fair access" report by STAT's Ed Silverman quotes NPC Chief Strategy Officer, Kimberly Westrich, MA. 

“Overall, the…report raises important concerns about patient access. However, it is subject to numerous methodological limitations and shouldn’t be used to draw conclusions about whether payers are providing meaningful access to patients. For example, the report adopts a narrow scope, evaluating payer alignment with only 14 out of ICER’s 27 Fair Access Criteria. Additionally, the concordance analysis excludes policies for drugs that are non-formulary or excluded from coverage. Coverage is a fundamental component of access. Omitting it from an analysis of ‘fair access’ weakens the credibility of ICER’s findings.”Read Here

 

Kimberly Westrich's ISPOR 2024 Round-up Cited in AJMC's Top 5 Conference Coverage of 2024

December 17, 2024 | AJMC

AJMC spotlighted the takeaways from ISPOR 2024 shared by NPC Chief Strategy Officer, Kimberly Westrich, MA. 

Read Here

 

Kimberly Westrich quoted in coverage of ICER's UPI report

December 12, 2024 | STAT 

STAT's Ed Silverman included perspectives from NPC Chief Strategy Officer, Kimberly Westrich, MA, in his article examining ICER's latest report on drug pricing.“If ICER simply followed this best practice for economic analysis and inflation-adjusted their findings using the CPI-U (for all urban consumers), the estimated $815 million ‘increase’ in this year’s report disappears, becoming instead a $10 million decrease, causing the premise of the entire report to collapse.”
Read Here
 

Jon Campbell Describes the Costs of 340B Abuse 

December 12, 2024 | Colorado Politics

NPC Chief Science Officer, Jon Campbell, PhD, is cited in this article examining concerns about abuse and misuse of the 340B drug discount program in Colorado. 

At the November forum, Jonathan Campbell, the chief science officer for the National Pharmaceutical Council, said those who are abusing the 340B program are costing the healthcare industry an estimated $5 billion.

Read Here

 

NPC announces Takeda’s Jen Norton as board chair for 2025

December 11, 2024 | Chain Drug Review  Read Here
 

Kimberly Westrich Discusses Growing Use of Copay Offset Programs 

October 15, 2024 | Managed Healthcare Executive

MHE's Ashley Gallagher examined the growing use of copay offset programs, including copay accumulators, maximizers and alternative funding programs. In the article, NPC Chief Strategy Officer, Kimberly Westrich, MA, flagged important considerations. “All of these programs have ethical tradeoffs and considerations,” Westrich said. “They have been shown to lead to disruptions in access, exposing patients to unexpected [OOP] costs, and reducing medication adherence.”

  Read Here


Kimberly Westrich Breaks 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

Additional Coverage

News Highlights - July to September 2024

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

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 one, part 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.