- Center on Health Equity & Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
Dr Leora Horn on How Biosimilar Pegfilgrastim Could Improve Patient Access
Cost will be one of the most important factors to determine whether or not a biosimilar pegfilgrastim improves patient access to the treatment, said Leora Horn, MD, clinical director of thoracic oncology at Vanderbilt-Ingraham Cancer Center, assistant vice chancellor for faculty development at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Cost will be one of the most important factors to determine whether or not a biosimilar pegfilgrastim improves patient access to the treatment, said Leora Horn, MD, clinical director of thoracic oncology at Vanderbilt-Ingraham Cancer Center, assistant vice chancellor for faculty development at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Transcript (slightly modified)
How might a biosimilar pegfilgrastim improve patient access?
So, that’s a good question. I think a lot of that will depend on cost. We can access the drug for patients and with the recent OBI [On-Body Injector] formulation, where patients can get their injection in clinic, on the day of chemo, but it releases 24 hours later when they’re at home; that’s made access a little bit easier that patients don’t have to drive back and forth to the cancer clinic especially when insurance won’t cover the drug.
I think the biggest issue is going to be: is the cost going to be lower? Because as we know for a lot of drugs, you can sort of think of a biosimilar as a generic version of a chemo agent and if the cost of the drug is as high as some of the generic agents we have in the United States, it’s not going to make it any more affordable for our cancer patients.
New Insights Into Meth-Associated PAH Care Gaps: Anjali Vaidya, MD, on Closing the Divide
June 4th 2025Research from Anjali Vaidya, MD, FACC, FASE, FACP, Temple University Hospital, reveals critical care gaps for patients with methamphetamine-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), emphasizing the need for early diagnosis and integrated support.
Read More
Laundromats as a New Frontier in Community Health, Medicaid Outreach
May 29th 2025Lindsey Leininger, PhD, and Allister Chang, MPA, highlight the potential of laundromats as accessible, community-based settings to support Medicaid outreach, foster trust, and connect families with essential health and social services.
Listen
Tailored Dosing for MM Matters More Than Drug Count: Ajai Chari, MD
April 25th 2025When it comes to treating multiple myeloma (MM), Ajai Chari, MD, argued that more is not always better. More intense treatment regimens, or those with more drugs, don't necessarily guarantee better outcomes.
Read More
What's at Stake as Oral Arguments Are Presented in the Braidwood Case? Q&A With Richard Hughes IV
April 21st 2025Richard Hughes IV, JD, MPH, spoke about the upcoming oral arguments to be presented to the Supreme Court regarding the Braidwood case, which would determine how preventive services are guaranteed insurance coverage.
Read More
