We’re in the midst of a transformative period in oncology, but it can also be a little scary if we’re not prepared, says John, managing director of policy, advocacy and communications at the Community Oncology Alliance. says Nicolas Ferreiros.
transcript
How is the landscape of value-based care policy in oncology changing?
A lot of changes are happening.It is very clear from EOM [Enhancing Oncology Model] To OCM [Oncology Care Model]all value-based care contracts, not to mention all the work done in connection with the Inflation Control Act. [IRA]. So oncology is going through a period of huge change right now, which is exciting, but frankly, it can be a little scary if you’re not ready.
How will the IRA continue to influence drug price negotiations?
List of medicines subject to initial negotiations under the Inflation Control Act. It’s important to remember that this is just the first step. There are many other things you can do. It’s just been released. There’s only one tumor drug on that list. But what’s really interesting about that list is trying to figure out how they came up with what to include on that list. There are several drugs that appear to violate the guidelines established by CMS regarding drugs selected for negotiation.
So there are a lot of questions, not only in the industry but also among manufacturers, about how that list was created and what the actual determining factors are. Because fundamentally, if you’re going to do a program like an IRA, you’re completely introducing a whole new element to drug development, drug payment, and our entire ecosystem, so what does that mean? We need to clarify, and I think it is worth clarifying, how these drugs are selected, and how those drugs are selected. Because without real clarity, without real definitions and guidelines and rules, without the same kind of transparency that the government requires of every other healthcare organization, to do things in an informed way. Because we can’t proceed.
As you can see, the list of selected drugs presents many challenges. I think there’s going to be a lot of discussion about how that happens. And remember, this is just phase one. There’s a lot of work to do here, and it’s going to take us years, not to mention the six or seven lawsuits that are underway over these drugs and others that may come.
