Is the gross-to-net bubble—the ever-widening gap between brand-name drug sales at list prices and their net revenues after rebates and discounts—finally beginning to deflate? Drug Channels Institute (DCI) estimates that the gross-to-net reductions for all brand-name drugs reached $356 billion in 2024, a 7% increase over the previous year. Yet despite this record total, the bubble expanded at the slowest rate in at least a decade. In our analysis below, we highlight five key forces driving...| Drug Channels
The 2025 launch of biosimilars to Johnson & Johnson’s Stelara (ustekinumab) marks another turning point in pharmacy benefit dynamics. But unlike the chaotic rollout of Humira biosimilars, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) came prepared. Private label strategies, aggressive pricing, and exclusive formulary deals have transformed what might have been a slow-crawling biosimilar introduction into a full-on pricing war. As with Humira, the reality of biosimilar economics is far messier—and more...| Drug Channels
This week, I’m rerunning some popular posts while I prepare for Friday’s live video webinar: What’s Next for Retail Pharmacy: Data, Debate, and Disruption. I’ll be joined by special guest Antonio Ciaccia, CEO of 46brooklyn Research, and President of 3 Axis Advisors. Click here to see the original post from April 2025. --- Drug Channels Institute’s (DCI’s) latest analysis reveals that PBM-affiliated specialty pharmacies continue to dominate the dispensing of specialty drugs. DCI ha...| Drug Channels
This week, I’m rerunning some popular posts while I prepare for Friday’s live video webinar: What’s Next for Retail Pharmacy: Data, Debate, and Disruption. I’ll be joined by special guest Antonio Ciaccia, CEO of 46brooklyn Research, and President of 3 Axis Advisors. Click here to see the original post from March 2025. --- Three’s still company in the world of pharmacy benefit managers. For 2024, nearly 80% of all equivalent prescription claims were processed by three familiar compan...| Drug Channels