— New report will highlight opportunities to improve affordability and access, and demonstrate the importance of having a system that pays for value —
BOSTON, January 22, 2025 — The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) today announced a new analysis it plans to release on an annual basis titled the “Launch Price and Access Report” which will examine launch pricing for FDA-approved treatments. This report will review the affordability and access of the treatments and their value to the overall health system.
“There is no better time to provide an independent analysis on trends in launch pricing – both list and net – and patient access,” stated ICER’s Vice President of Research Foluso Agboola, MBBS, MPH. “ICER typically evaluates promising treatments that pose potential affordability challenges for the U.S. health system. Through this work, ICER will continue to work towards a health system where the pricing of innovative treatments are tied to value, while still ensuring affordability and access for patients.”
ICER’s President and CEO Sarah K. Emond, MPP stated, “It can be difficult to determine if we are paying for value in the current system. Through this report, ICER hopes to shed light on which therapies have been priced based on how well they work for patients and which drugs may be overpriced. When the entire U.S. health system overpays for one treatment for some patients, there’s a direct consequence to other patients: rising premiums, individuals dropping insurance coverage, and ultimately greater health losses for those who can no longer afford the care they need.”
ICER will examine all novel drug approvals in the previous 2 years and will:
- Analyze list and net price trends;
- Conduct an in-depth review of drugs that were subject to an ICER analysis;
- Analyze affordability and access concerns, such as trends in patient out-of-pocket costs.
ICER will also recruit a multi-stakeholder Working Group to advise the project, drawing on people with life sciences, health plan, patient and consumer advocacy, and clinical expertise.
The report is expected to be released in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Additionally, ICER will discontinue development of the annual “Unsupported Price Increase” reports and the “Barriers to Fair Access” reports, as some important themes and analyses from both reports will be reflected in the new Launch Price and Access Report.
About ICER
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) is an independent non-profit research institute that produces reports analyzing the evidence on the effectiveness and value of drugs and other medical services. ICER’s reports include evidence-based calculations of prices for new drugs that accurately reflect the degree of improvement expected in long-term patient outcomes, while also highlighting price levels that might contribute to unaffordable short-term cost growth for the overall health care system.