Week in Review: The latest from PhRMA

Discriminatory effect of insurance plan structure – New research from Harvard’s Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation (CHLPI) shows evidence that some insurance plans are designed to discourage enrollment by patients with certain conditions and prevent some individuals from actually getting care.  CHPI researchers were “increasingly alarmed by lower rates of coverage for necessary HIV and HCV [hepatitis c] treatment regimens” for patients enrolled in state health insurance exchange plans.  Read more about the research here.

The fight against Zika – Dr. Gary J. Nabel, the chief scientific officer, global research & development, at Sanofi, highlighted the important role of the biopharmaceutical industry in the Zika response.  Learn how the industry can work with partners in government/public health, academic and regulatory communities to solve this growing public health challenge.

Impact on the R&D ecosystem – In a new video, Dr. Tim Garnett, chief medical officer of Eli Lilly and Company, notes the dedication of researchers and scientists in the face of an extremely complex development process where setbacks are more common than successes. Check out the new video and learn more about this tireless pursuit of discovering new innovative medicines to improve the lives of patients.

The value of personalized treatments – We profiled Joyce, a hypothetical patient diagnosed with stage IV metastatic breast cancer, to showcase the benefits of a personalized treatment plan over a one-size-fits-all standard of care.  Read more about her story to learn why standardized treatment protocols can impede individual doctor-patient decision-making and lead to serious health consequences for patients.  

Medicare Monday – This week we highlighted the increased volume of medicines in development for older Americans.  A new report from PhRMA and the National Osteoporosis Foundation, “Medicines in Development for Osteoporosis,” found that there are currently nine medicines in clinical trials or undergoing review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and 34 clinical trials studying osteoporosis treatments.