Shifting payment dynamics for colorectal cancer and renal cell carcinoma treatment

6 March 2014

The increasing use of clinical pathway programs, accountable care organizations (ACOs) and bundled payments is changing the prescribing of oncology drugs in the treatment of colorectal cancer and renal cell carcinoma.

As more payers and oncology practices adopt pathways, participate in ACOs and negotiate payment bundles, specific branded agents will benefit or suffer depending on how each agreement is designed and structured, according to a new report from advisory firm Decision Resources.

Other key findings from the US Physician & Payer Forum report, titled Managed Care Strategies in Oncology: US Payer and Prescriber Insights on the Impact of Clinical Pathways, Bundled Payments, and ACOs on Brand Uptake in Colorectal Cancer and Renal Cell Carcinoma:

Clinical pathways: The impact of clinical pathways depends heavily on who designs them. For example, clinical pathways led by managed care organizations (MCOs) rely more heavily on chemotherapy combinations such as FOLFOX in early stage IV treatment of colorectal cancer, where oncologist-led pathways place Roche’s Avastin (bevacizumab) and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Erbitux (cetuximab) as first-line treatment.
Prescribing decisions: ACOs compensation to oncologists is tied to several hospitalization measures, and ACO participant oncologists report that their prescribing decisions weigh the likelihood of hospitalization more heavily as a result.
Bundled payments: MCOs and oncologists expect greater use of bundled payment arrangements for care of colorectal cancer and renal cell carcinoma, and surveyed MCOs projected winners and losers among various agents.
Shaping pathway decisions: Clinical pathways are regularly updated, and both MCOs and oncologists say they want more clinical evidence to shape pathway decisions.

This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.

Try before you buy

Free

7 day trial access

Take a Free Trial

All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.

Become a subscriber

£820

Or £77 per month

Subscribe Now

Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription

The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed

Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK

More ones to watch >