Pharmacy costs have an outsized impact on overall healthcare spend for employers. But much happens before a drug’s price is...[…]

The Real Story Behind Today’s Drug Price Headlines

Business Group on Health

The pace of genuine scientific progress is remarkable. So we've talked about GLP-1s, gene therapies. These are incredible scientific advances to be able to have one-time treatments for conditions that used to mean a lifetime of chronic disease management. And that's really giving me hope for thinking about addressing some of these health needs that patients have.

That's Rachel Sachs, professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis and one of the nation's leading experts on drug pricing, policy, and innovation. Her research examines how these factors shape the medicines that are developed and the prices that patients and purchasers ultimately pay. I'm Ellen Kelsey, and this is the Business Group on Health podcast, conversations with experts in the most relevant health and well-being issues facing employers.

In today's episode, we step back to look at the full life cycle of a drug from the earliest stages of research to FDA approval, market launch, generic competition, and the policy decisions that influence innovation and access along the way. Rachel, welcome to the podcast. So happy to have you with us. Thank you so much for having me.

Well, we are here today to talk about an important topic. And many of us know that healthcare costs and affordability concerns are well-known and seemingly growing more acute by the day. And pharmacy costs are a key driver of overall healthcare spending. And while prescription drug affordability and access are certainly top of mind for employers, many of the issues driving those conversations begin years before a drug even reaches a patient.

The Real Story Behind Today’s Drug Price Headlines

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

The Real Story Behind Today’s Drug Price Headlines

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.