Economic Challenges and Possible Policy Actions to Advance Stratified medicine

Abstract

In this article, we present a simple economic model to illustrate the economic challenges facing an oncology stratified medicine developer when scientific discoveries lead to ever smaller, targeted patient populations.We provide preliminary empirical evidence suggesting that at least some developers and their investors are retreating. We then examine the armamentarium of policy actions beyond higher reimbursement that may be employed to enhance the economic incentives for developing stratified medicines. In the absence of significant pricing and total oncology outlay flexibility by payers, our analysis suggests that private sector investment in small oncology segments, and in stratified medicine generally, may not prove economically sustainable, thus endangering the translation of scientific advances into bedside medicines. Beyond increasing reimbursement, decreasing development cycle time and costs, or both, would most directly improve the economic incentives facing developers. By contrast, extending exclusivity periods, or initiating advance market commitments and awarding prizes would likely have less impact and involve greater implementation challenges.

KEYWORDS::

• economics of personalized medicine
• health economics
• personalized medicine incentives
• stratified medicine

Disclaimer

The opinions and findings expressed herein are those of the authors and do not reflect those of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the research sponsor, Pfizer Inc.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Pfizer, Inc. for this research. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

Financial & competing interests disclosure The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Pfizer, Inc. for this research. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.