(BloombergGadfly) Dec 8, 2017 - The results from late-stage trial data released on Friday for Pfizer’s breast cancer drug talazoparib could push an experiment in cancer-drug price competition into overdrive.

Thomas Marsland, MD (Posted: December 12, 2017)

So how many part inhibitors do we need, how many check point inhibitors are necessary? Does every company need a "me too" drug. Clearly the cost of pharmaceuticals is a major problem for all of us. One "experiment" that should be considered is including the price of a new drug as part of the approval process. If a new drug in a given class is truly interchangeable, then as part of the value proposition there should be some cost benefits to the payers and patients.

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(Forbes) Dec 31, 2017 - Few doctors, even oncologists who subspecialize, can keep up with developments in the field.

Winston Wong, PharmD (Posted: January 02, 2018)

These 7 Key Trends are definitely a continuation of what we have seen through 2017. From a payer perspective, while the decrease in Chemotherapy is balanced by the increase in targeted therapy is technically true, in the end, the patient is receiving some treatment, which is driving cost. We all will have to deal with how to deal with rising cost. Is value-based payments in the future? Probably yes, but not the near future as we all need to determine a methodology to define value and outcomes. Payers will be put into more of a struggle as the number of tumor agnostic tests increases and payers need to modify their payment policies. And finally, patient outcomes and satisfaction will become part of the "value" equation.

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(KHN Morning Briefing) Mar 7, 2018 - While the FDA cautioned that regular checkups and screenings are still needed, the decision allows people to initiate testing on their own for three genetic mutations that put them at a substantially higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.

Winston Wong, PharmD (Posted: March 14, 2018)

It will be interesting to see if payers will reimburse for this test. I doubt that they will, since it is consumer driver, as opposed to provider driven, and time will be needed for payers to gain confidence in the accuracy and reliability of the test, as well as how the information will be handled by the providers. Will the providers simply just turn around an order another test? In additional, with a consumer driven test, can payers even be confident that the test is being used by the same person who purchased the test and would be billing it to the payer. Many questions to be answered.

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