Perspectives by the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics

The Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics
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Welcome to Perspectives, a signature podcast series from the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics. Hosted by Dr. Mel Whittington, a health economist and Head of the Center for Pharmacoeconomics, we will be hearing from individuals across the industry to better understand and appreciate the societal impact of healthcare innovations.

  1. Can Clinical Trial Failure Be Insured? A Conversation with Tomas Philipson

    May 19

    Can Clinical Trial Failure Be Insured? A Conversation with Tomas Philipson

    Dr. Tomas Philipson, former Acting Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers and Professor Emeritus at the University of Chicago, joins Perspectives by the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics to discuss a new insurance model he developed that insures biotech investments against clinical trial failure. He explains how this insurance could reshape the way risk is managed in life sciences innovation and could expand access to capital for biotech. The second half of the episode turns to drug pricing policy where Philipson shares his perspectives on current and proposed reforms. Topics discussed include: A new insurance model for clinical trial failure The role of AI in underwriting these insurance policies Perspectives on the Inflation Reduction Act, Medicare drug price negotiations, and Most Favored Nation pricing A NATO-style approach to global drug spending Episode Links: https://www.mciuw.com/service/clinical-trial-funding-insurance/

    45 min
  2. Are We Pricing Drugs Right? A Conversation with Peter Neumann on How Innovation is Valued Globally

    May 11

    Are We Pricing Drugs Right? A Conversation with Peter Neumann on How Innovation is Valued Globally

    In this episode of Perspectives by the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics, host Mel Whittington sits down with renowned health economist Dr. Peter Neumann following the annual meeting of the Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health (CEVR) at Tufts Medical Center. Drawing from conversations that took place at the meeting, Mel and Peter explore some of the questions that are shaping how innovation is valued globally. The discussion covers: Whether cost-effectiveness analysis captures all the factors that are considered when pricing a drug   How payers use outcomes assessments to shape, and sometimes restrict, coverage decisions What Medicare drug price negotiations and MFN proposals reveal about “value-based pricing” The distinction between price and value and whether current frameworks adequately reward innovation The growing debate around centralized health technology assessment in the U.S. Why the field may be moving toward narrower definitions of value over time This episode offers a window into the economic debates influencing how medicines are evaluated, reimbursed, and ultimately brought to patients.  CEVR webpage : https://cevr.tuftsmedicalcenter.org/ US vs. MFN CEA thresholds paper: https://academic.oup.com/healthaffairsscholar/article/4/4/qxag081/8586328 Cost-effective price vs. Medicare negotiated price paper:  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40939703/

    46 min
  3. What’s Behind Drug Pricing: The Hidden Role and Limits of Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

    Mar 31

    What’s Behind Drug Pricing: The Hidden Role and Limits of Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

    In this episode of Perspectives by the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics, Melanie Whittington breaks down a fundamental—and increasingly consequential—question in health economics: what counts as value in cost-effectiveness analysis? For biotech leaders and investors, Mel cautions that this isn’t just an academic debate. The frameworks adopted by HTA bodies influence pricing, access, and ultimately, how innovation is rewarded.

    39 min
  4. Making Value Propositions Clearer with Peter Kolchinsky, PhD, Founder and Managing Partner, RA Capital Management

    Mar 2

    Making Value Propositions Clearer with Peter Kolchinsky, PhD, Founder and Managing Partner, RA Capital Management

    Melanie Whittington, PhD, Head of the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics, talks with Peter Kolchinsky, PhD, Founder and Managing Partner of RA Capital Management, to discuss if the U.S. market-based approach to pricing novel prescription medicines could result in paying more than they are worth and if companies and company builders should use health economic modeling to support their value propositions.

    45 min
  5. Specialty Drug Coverage Predictions with James Chambers, PhD, MPharm, Professor of Medicine, CEVR, Tufts Medical Center

    Feb 2

    Specialty Drug Coverage Predictions with James Chambers, PhD, MPharm, Professor of Medicine, CEVR, Tufts Medical Center

    Melanie Whittington, PhD, Head of the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics, interviews James Chambers, PhD, MPharm, Professor of Medicine in the Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health at Tufts Medical Center, to dig into specialty drug coverage and what it might look like in 2026.

    36 min
  6. The National Pharmaceutical Council President and CEO & Former Trump Drug Pricing Advisor, John O’Brien, PharmD, MPH

    Jan 8

    The National Pharmaceutical Council President and CEO & Former Trump Drug Pricing Advisor, John O’Brien, PharmD, MPH

    Melanie Whittington, PhD, Head of the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics, talks with John M. O'Brien, PharmD, MPH, President and CEO of the National Pharmaceutical Council & Former Trump Drug Pricing Advisor, to tackle some big questions like if it is possible to reward innovation without busting budgets and how to get to a sustainable, innovation-friendly, patient-centered drug pricing system. Additional resources: Subscribe to NPC’s Newsletter https://www.npcnow.org/subscribe-updates IRA Impact on Pharmaceutical Investment: Insights From Investor Interviews (Health Affairs Scholar) https://academic.oup.com/healthaffairsscholar/article/3/9/qxaf156/8223954 How Time Is Accounted For When Modeling Pharmaceutical Impacts: Investment vs Assessment Perspectives (Health Affairs Scholar) https://academic.oup.com/healthaffairsscholar/article/3/9/qxaf169/8244606 The IRA and Drug Development: Potential Early Signals of Impact on Post-Approval Clinical Trials (Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43441-025-00774-2 Subsequent Indications in Oncology Drugs: Pathways, Timelines, and the Inflation Reduction Act (Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43441-024-00706-6 Unintended Consequences of the Inflation Reduction Act: Clinical Development Toward Subsequent Indications (American Journal of Managed Care) https://www.ajmc.com/view/unintended-consequences-of-the-inflation-reduction-act-clinical-development-toward-subsequent-indications The Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act’s Drug Price Negotiation Program on Incentives for Clinical Development of New Drugs (Value in Health) https://www.valueinhealthjournal.com/article/S1098-3015(25)02527-6/fulltext?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1098301525025276%3Fshowall%3Dtrue Follow John O’Brien on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjmob/

    38 min
  7. David Hong, MD, Steve Potts, PhD, MBA, and Vivek Subbiah, MD talk Pan-Tumor Approvals in a Post-IRA World

    12/02/2025

    David Hong, MD, Steve Potts, PhD, MBA, and Vivek Subbiah, MD talk Pan-Tumor Approvals in a Post-IRA World

    Melanie Whittington, Head of the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics, talks with Vivek Subbiah, MD, David Hong, MD, and Steve Potts, PhD, MBA to discuss if pan-tumor approval strategies offer a path forward for broader, faster adoption across larger patient populations. Given the slow adoption curves typical of new therapeutics and the potential for government price negotiation as early as nine years after market entry, the experts hash out if pan-tumor approval is a potential development and commercialization pathway to ramp up clinical adoption and sales early on. They discuss the challenges, data requirements, and opportunities of this relatively new development path. Dr. Hong is the Deputy Chair of the Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Steve Potts is the CEO and Co-Founder of a Stealth Cancer Biotech. Dr. Subbiah is the Chief of Early Phase Drug Development at the Sarah Cannon Research Institute. All bring firsthand experience – wins and battle scars - with pan-tumor approvals.

    42 min
  8. Head of the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics, Melanie Whittington, PhD

    11/03/2025

    Head of the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics, Melanie Whittington, PhD

    Diane Vieira, Head of Marketing & Communications at Leerink Partners, interviews Melanie Whittington, PhD, Head of the Leerink Center of Pharmacoeconomics (CPE), to discuss the one-year anniversary of CPE and everything they thought they knew but actually didn’t.

    25 min
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out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to Perspectives, a signature podcast series from the Leerink Center for Pharmacoeconomics. Hosted by Dr. Mel Whittington, a health economist and Head of the Center for Pharmacoeconomics, we will be hearing from individuals across the industry to better understand and appreciate the societal impact of healthcare innovations.

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