ICER Update 04.01.2019

Hello, everyone, and welcome to this edition of Excelsior Solutions’ ICER Update.

Here is this week’s ICER recap:

  1. This week, ICER announced it will conduct an update to its 2017 assessment on therapies for rheumatoid arthritis, including new evidence on upadacitinib (AbbVie), which is currently under review by the FDA with an expected decision around August 2019. The assessment will be publicly discussed during a meeting of the California Technology Assessment Forum in October of 2019, where the independent evidence review panel will deliberate and vote on evidence presented in ICER’s report.

    EXCELSIOR ACTION POINT: Owing to the material costs associated with the treatment of RA, combined with the robust pipeline of new drugs in this disease category and the impending availability of biosimilar forms of Enbrel and Humira, this seems to be a timely effort to remain up-to-date. Since public comments are welcome, clients are encouraged to share their opinions with ICER.

  2. While attending the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy annual conference in San Diego this past week, ICER’s President Dr. Steve Pearson spoke on camera with AJMC about how ICER assessments help fill information gaps around newly approved drugs.

    EXCELSIOR ACTION POINT: I was able to attend the presentation at which Dr. Pearson spoke. If you would like a copy of the presentation’s slide deck, please let me know through your account team and I will be happy to pass it along.

If you would like to discuss these ICER activities, or any other aspects of your Pharmacy Benefit Plan, simply reach out to your Excelsior Solutions account team and we will be happy to quickly set up a call.

Until next week!

Bob has more than 30 years of diverse experience in the pharmacy industry. Over the course of his career, Bob has led clinical and PBM operations teams in successfully managing more than $4 billion in annual drug spend. This was also while limiting per-member-per-year spending growth to levels that have simultaneously drawn industry acclaim and consistently high levels of member and payer satisfaction.

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