P4A Let's Talk Rare: The Life Science Podcast

In this episode,  the P4A team review all the key events of the year 2020 in the orphan drug, cell and gene therapy world. The emergence of COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruption but also opportunities for the biotech industry. From  change in regulations, new stakeholder collaborations to impact of Brexit and US drug pricing reforms,  a full round up of 2020. So do listen in! Pres...

This episode discusses patient access to AveXis' gene therapy Zolgensma from Orsini Healthcare, US based specialty pharmacy's perspective.  The senior team at Orsini  provide insight on their experience of Zolgensma access including key manufacturer criteria, payer landscape along with challenges and lessons learnt.  Presenter: Aparna Krishnan Contributors: Dave Frobel, Senior Vice...

This week is a special episode celebrating Rare Disease Day 2020.  Our guest speaker is Annie Kennedy, head of policy and advocacy at Every Life Foundation, a US based non profit organisation that works to advance the development of treatment and diagnostic opportunities for rare disease patients through science-driven public policy. Here she speaks about the organisation's initiatives on dru...

As 2019 winds down, P4A's Sophie Schmitz and Akshay Kumar discuss the key trends that defined this year  -  marketing approval of cell and gene therapies; pricing and reimbursement challenges in US & EU5 as well as industry merger and acquisitions.  Presenter: Sophie Schmitz Contributor: Akshay Kumar Producer: Aparna Krishnan

The team discuss the latest update on the proposed EU health technology assessment (HTA) regulation. The key objectives of the 2018 proposal was to promote convergence in HTA tools, procedures and methodologies; reduce duplication of efforts for HTA bodies and industry and improve joint use of outputs. This episode goes indepth into the one of the controversial aspects of the proposal - The joint...

The team discuss the NORD summit particularly FDA commissioner Scott Gottleib’s presentation, panel discussion on cell and gene therapy pricing as well as P4A’s lunch and learn on cell and gene therapy access – learnings from the EU. Also in this episode, Novartis’ Kymriah innovative payment agreement in Italy, the changing evaluation trends for gene therapies among HTA bodies and Alliance for Reg...

Following an autumn hiatus, the team come back to discuss Vertex's journey to commercialize Orkambi picking up the story from the latest deal struck with NHS England in October 2019.  Presenter: Nicola Allen Contributor: Joanna Fernandes Producer: Aparna Krishnan

In this episode, P4A speaks to a special guest - Alliance of Regenerative Medicine's chief executive officer Janet Lambert on the ARM's key initiatives such as the Foundation of Cell and Gene Therapy medicines as well as the 2019 report on ATMPs (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products). Presenter: Aparna Krishnan Contributor: Janet Lambert, CEO of Alliance of Regenerative Medicine Producer: Aparna Kr...

The team takes a look at the most recent legislation in Germany known as GSAV or the law for more safety in the supply of pharmaceuticals and its implications on the access to orphan drugs. GSAV was approved by the German cabinet on January 30, 2019 and is due to come into effect in August this year.  Presenter: Akshay Kumar Contributor: Joanna Fernandes Producer: Aparna Krishnan

This week, the P4A team discuss the coverage of Novartis' Zolgensma in the US in particular how US health insurers have received the gene therapy. Also on the agenda was the impact of Zolgensma's launch on rival Biogen's Spinraza and the potential for dominance of the gene therapy in the spinal muscular atrophy landscape.  Presenter: Aparna Krishnan Contributor: Max Rex Producer: Aparna Krish...

The debate over US drug pricing reform has reached fever pitch as the US Department of Health and Human Sciences announced its latest Medicare Part B proposal to include international reference pricing. The Partners4Access team looks at the background to this proposal; the political and patient organisation criticisms; the potential industry response and its ramifications.  Presenter: Aparna...

This week, we analyze Bluebirdbio's commercialization plans for its gene therapy Zynteglo including the new payment model and a delay in launch due to manufacturing issues.  Presenter: Aparna Krishnan Contributor: Joanna Fernandes Producer: Aparna Krishnan

This week, the team discuss the emergence of 'drug buyer's clubs' in the UK involving Vertex's cystic fibrosis drug Orkambi.  Presenter: Aparna Krishnan Contributors: Sophie Schmitz, Ciaran Cassidy Producer: Aparna Krishnan

This week, the team discuss Vertex's acquisition of Exonics and expansion of its collaboration with CRISPR Therapeutics. Also, we take an indepth look at the European Medicines Agency's approval of Bluebirdbio's gene therapy Zynteglo as a treatment for beta-thalassemia .  Presenter: Aparna Krishnan Contributor: Jack Rawson Producer: Aparna Krishnan

On our anniversary episode, the P4A team discuss the USFDA approval of Novartis' Zolgensma, a one time gene therapy for paediatric spinal muscular atrophy patients and a look back at the last 12 months of our podcasting journey.  Presenter: Joanna Fernandes Contributor: Christina Poschen, Aparna Krishnan Producer: Aparna Krishnan

In this episode, we look at Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan calling for a change in the US drug payment systems, arguing for new economic models to identify how much value a cure represents. Also, Italy's attempts at introducing a draft resolution to improve transparency in drug pricing at the World Health Assembly. Presenter: Aparna Krishnan Contributors: Joanna Fernandes, Christina Poschen Producer:...

This week, the team discuss the deal between UK's National Health Service and Biogen prompting the successful reimbursement of Biogen’s Spinraza as a treatment for spinal muscular atrophy and Solid Biosciences’ clinical update on its Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy gene therapy product SGT-001.   Presenter: Aparna Krishnan Contributor: Max Rex Producer: Aparna Krishnan

This week, the P4A team discuss a new experimental therapy - Phage therapy or genetically engineered phages in order to treat bacterial infections and the acquisition of Theracon by Big Pharma firm Pfizer for upto $810 million. Presenter: Aparna Krishnan Contributor: Ciaran Cassidy Producer: Aparna Krishnan  

This week, we feature a special guest podcast speaker - Scott  Dorfman, chief executive officer of non-profit gene therapy developer Odylia Therapeutics on his personal journey and the future in gene therapy development.  If you would like to know more about Odylia Therapeutics, please visit   https://odylia.org/   Presenter: Aparna Krishnan Contributor: Scott Dorfman, CEO, Ody...

This week, we look at the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations or EFPIA’s patient wait survey and its key findings as well as news developments in the spinal muscular atrophy world relating to gene therapy Novartis’ Zolgensma and Biogen’s Spinraza. Presenter: Aparna Krishnan Contributors: Sophie Schmitz, Jack Rawson Producer: Aparna Krishnan

 As part of the continuing World Orphan Drug Congress (WODC) special, this episode discusses the cGMP facilities and biosafety solutions from Germfree’s Carol Houts, P4A’s Sophie Schmitz looks back at the 2019 conference and Terrapinn’s Andre Singer talks about what to expect from WODC 2020.  Presenter and Producer: Aparna Krishnan Contributors: Carol Houts, Director of Regulatory and Qu...

This week, the P4A team are podcasting from the World Orphan Drug Congress in Washington D.C. We speak to André Choulika, Chairman and CEO of Cellectis on the challenges of commercializing a CAR-T cell product and ethical concerns surrounding it, and Anna Bucsics from the Mechanism of Coordinated Access to Orphan Medicinal Products (MoCA) on their work supporting new biotech entrepreneurs. Present...

The team discuss the creation of a new health economics advisory committee in Spain expected to influence pricing and reimbursement decisions for drugs; and Japan’s approval of its first gene therapy and CAR-T therapy  - AnGes' HGF Plasmid and Novartis' Kymriah respectively.  Presenter: Joanna Fernandes Contributor: Max Rex Producer: Aparna Krishnan

This week, we are looking at The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review or ICER’s white paper on alternative options for the US rebate system, and the establishment of a national agency to evaluate drug effectiveness and negotiate prices in Canada.  Presenter: Max Rex Contributor and Producer: Aparna Krishnan

This week, we look at Ireland's access to orphan drugs as compared to rest of western Europe and the first outcomes deal for CAR-T cell therapies in Germany.  Presenter: Joanna Fernandes Contributors: Nader Murad, Ciaran Cassidy Producer: Aparna Krishnan