For both patients and their healthcare providers (HCPs), the requirement that prior authorizations (PAs) be obtained from health insurers for many branded and specialty medications continues to act as a significant roadblock, according to David Fidler, senior director product innovation at ConnectiveRx.

Biogen Inc. agreed to pay $22 million to resolve U.S. allegations that the company illegally used two charities that help cover Medicare patients’ out-of-pocket drug costs as a means to pay them kickbacks to use the Cambridge, Mass-based drugmaker’s multiple sclerosis medicines.

The good news … is that innovation is addressing diseases with high-unmet need such as oncology, autoimmune diseases, and central nervous system (CNS) disorders. But, there is a complicating factor in the economic story: the patient population benefiting from launch brands is becoming smaller.

Market pressures have continued to threaten pharmaceutical brand revenue while increasing costs. The convergence of these two forces has challenged pharmaceutical manufacturers to improve margin with new and ever-evolving strategies. Only a combination of sophisticated managed markets expertise and real-world analysis can empower brands to maximize profitability in today’s challenging climate.