Trends Impacting the Long-Term Sustainability of Biosimilars panel at Access! 2024 in Tampa, FL

Access! 2024 - Charting a Sustainable Path for Generics and Biosimilars

Access! 2024, held in Tampa, FL from February 5–7, 2024, was a pivotal gathering for the generics and biosimilars industry, bringing together thought leaders and stakeholders to chart a sustainable path for the future.

To mark the commencement of Access! 2024, AAM’s Interim President & CEO, David Gaugh, RPh, delivered his welcome remarks. His address centered on the collaborative efforts within the industry to address and mitigate risks to long-term sustainability. David emphasized that the annual gathering at Access! is a crucial opportunity for industry professionals to collectively assess the industry's current state and collaboratively chart the course for its future.

This year’s Champions of Access Award went to National Taxpayers Union who works actively with Congress, federal agencies, and state capitals to craft pro-taxpayer, pro-consumer, and market-oriented prescription drug policy, urging lawmakers to reduce prescription drug costs without resorting to overregulation or harmful government price controls. It was an honor to have Pete Sepp, President of National Taxpayers Union accepted the award.

The first session of Access! 2024 was the engaging fireside chat titled A Capitol Conversation: Making an Impact in a Presidential Election Year. The session featured AAM’s Vice President of Communications as the moderator, Brian Hart, and dynamic duo Steve Southerland, Partner and Senior Vice President, and Brian Sutter, Partner and CEO, both from the Capitol Hill Consulting Group.

Following was Dr. Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, JD, MD, Principal Deputy Center Director at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, who delivered her keynote address.

I would say there are two different markets when you’re talking about generics and biosimilars. For generics obviously you have great penetration and acceptance, lots of competition, low percentage of price for the prescription drug spending and we know that with more competition overtime price erodes…We also are very cognizant that some of this price and low price may lead to unintended consequences in terms of reliability of supply. —Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, JD, M.D., Principal Deputy Center Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), FDA

We know that medicines only work if they have access. You have made outstanding contributions to public health by increasing access and we really look forward to innovating with you to continue to bring these products to market and to maintain them through quality manufacturing. —Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay, JD, M.D., Principal Deputy Center Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), FDA


Following the CDER Keynote Address, we welcomed Joe Alexander, Chief Strategy Officer of Capital Rx Inc. for a conversation with AAM’s Senior Vice President, Policy and Strategic Alliances and Executive Director of the Biosimilars Council, Craig Burton.

Next up, we continued our discussion on pharmacy-related topics and more to the topic of pharmacy-based healthcare. Specifically, we will look at its evolution over time and where it is headed. The engaging panel discussion brought together esteemed experts in the field, including Jean-Venable “Kelly” Goode, PharmD, BCPS, FAPhA, FCCP, from VCU School of Pharmacy, Kayla McFeely, PharmD, Senior Director at NACDS, and Lisa Smith, PharmD, MBA, representing Walmart Health and Wellness. The lively conversation was moderated by AAM’s own Senior Director of Policy, Michael Sargent.

Doug Long, VP of Industry Relations at IQVIA, took the stage to give his much-anticipated, data-driven insights into important trends and the overall outlook of the generics and biosimilars industries. Access! 2024 marks the 25th year Doug has appeared at our annual meeting.

Day 1 of Access! 2024 concluded with a session on transparency in pharmacy benefits, spotlighting the next generation of Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) solutions. The distinguished panel, featuring industry leaders and experts, including Jesse Dresser, Esq., of Frier Levitt, Dr. Alison Lum from Blue Shield of California, Bret Jackson of Economic Alliance for Michigan, and moderated by John Brooks, J.D., of South Capitol. Their dynamic dialogue provided a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and innovations shaping the future of PBMs.

The final day of Access! 2024 offered a continuation of engaging programming. Highlights included insights from AAM's newly elected Board Chair, Keren Haruvi, the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Doug Long, a stimulating CEOs Unplugged panel, discussions on trends affecting the long-term sustainability of biosimilars, and the day concluded with a keynote address from a technology futurist, Jamie Metzl.

The address by AAM's newly elected Board Chair, Keren Haruvi, set an optimistic tone for the conference. Her confidence in our ability to chart a sustainable path for generics and biosimilars resonated with the audience, emphasizing the importance of a collective effort.

Our challenge as we leave this meeting will be to continue our engagement, support and leadership in our collective goal to increase patient access to affordable medicines. And while we are all—as companies and individuals—dedicated to achieving a future where patients can get the medicines they need at the right time and at the right cost, in this case, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We must work together to chart a sustainable path for generics and biosimilars. —Keren Haruvi, AAM Board Chair, President of Sandoz North America.

Without intervention, the trajectory of the U.S. generics marketplace will lead to greater volatility and increased shortages, leaving millions of patients and providers without a reliable supply of much-needed medicines. This will require urgent, collective action. —Keren Haruvi, AAM Board Chair, President of Sandoz North America.

 

The Lifetime Achievement Award is given in recognition of an individual’s professional accomplishments, distinguished service, and outstanding contributions to our industry. And this year, it is our sincere privilege to present the award to Doug Long, Vice President of Industry Relations at IQVIA, the world’s largest pharmaceutical information company. Doug is known for his deep-dives into the trends impacting the generic and biosimilars industry. His analysis offers critical insights and forecasts into what our industry will need to account for as they develop their business strategies.

The CEOs Unplugged panel took stage after the Lifetime Achievement Award and charted into the pressing challenges faced by the generics and biosimilars industry. Leaders shared strategies for navigating policy, commercial, and supply chain threats. We welcomed Brian Hoffmann from US Generics, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Allan Oberman from Apotex Inc., Punit Patel from Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA, and Arunesh Verma of Cipla North America. The CEOs Unplugged panel discussion was led by Dr. Balaji Prasad from Barclays Investment Bank.

Following was the Trends Impacting the Long-term Sustainability of Biosimilars panel discussion where they reviewed the state of biosimilar adoption and discuss how recent trends in pharmacy benefit management practices are impacting the long-term sustainability of the market. The panel included moderator Melissa Andel of CommonHealth Solutions and panelists Nick Adolph from IQVIA, Pramod John from VIVIO Health and Dr. Brian Miller from Johns Hopkins University.

Our last keynote speaker was Jamie Metzl on the future of genetics, biotech, and AI captivated the audience. His vision of how these revolutions will transform our lives left attendees with much to contemplate.

Access! 2024 was a resounding success, uniting industry luminaries, igniting innovation, and tackling pivotal challenges within the generics and biosimilars arena. As the conference concluded, attendees left with new insights, strengthened connections, and a renewed commitment to advancing patient access to affordable medicines.

A heartfelt thank you to all our sponsors and exhibitors for their support at Access! 2024. Their partnership contributed significantly to the success of the event. We appreciate your commitment to advancing the generics and biosimilars industry.

Make sure to mark your calendars for the GRx+Biosims 2024 Conference, taking place from October 21–23 in North Bethesda, Maryland. This conference will focus on regulatory and policy matters in the industry. Looking ahead, plan for Access! 2025, which will be hosted in Amelia Island from February 3–5. Stay tuned for upcoming registration details for both conferences.

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Jennifer Soup—Director, Meetings & Marketing


By Jennifer Soup, Director, Meetings & Marketing
Published on February 22, 2024

Association for Accessible Medicines

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