News & Insights

MENLO PARK, CA and HOUSTON, November 5, 2019 – Akoya Biosciences, The Spatial Biology Company™ today announced a strategic alliance with Precision for Medicine (formerly ApoCell), a pioneer in customized biomarker solutions, to develop proprietary liquid biopsy and tissue biomarker tests using Akoya’s Vectra® Polaris™ System. By combining the Vectra Polaris system with Precision for Medicine’s ApoStream® technology, the collaboration is designed to advance immuno-oncology candidates in clinical trials using both tumor biopsies and liquid biopsies to generate data required for assessing drug efficacy and validation of companion diagnostics (CDx).

“We are very excited to be the first commercial laboratory to launch the Vectra Polaris system for image analysis of circulating tumor cells following ApoStream’s isolation and enrichment functionality,” said Darren Davis, PhD, Precision for Medicine Senior Vice President. “Together, these technologies will enable accelerated drug development through detection of biomarkers in liquid biopsies. These tools have enabled our scientists to better understand the biological correlation of circulating metastatic cancer cells with cancer cells present in the tumor tissue.”

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have long been known to exist in cancer patients’ blood. However, the promise of clinical application of CTCs as a liquid biopsy has not born fruit because these cells are difficult to detect using current molecular biology techniques. Precision for Medicine’s proprietary ApoStream technology captures significant quantities of rare circulating cancer cells from whole blood for characterization using Akoya’s Opal™ technology and Vectra Polaris imaging platform. ApoStream has been used in more than 80 clinical trials, including several ongoing phase III studies for CDx development.

Akoya’s Vectra Polaris Automated Quantitative Pathology System, part of the company’s Phenoptics 2.0 next-generation biomarker multiplexing platform, enables researchers to gain a deeper level of understanding of disease mechanisms related to new cancer immunotherapy approaches. The Vectra Polaris system integrates high throughput, seven-color multispectral imaging with whole-slide scanning in a simplified digital pathology workflow to support the quantification and analysis of tissue sections discernible with Opal detection kits. A recent meta-analysis of several studies showed that incorporating spatial information using Akoya’s multiplexed immunofluorescence technology is important for improving the predictive accuracy of immuno-oncology biomarkers.

The Phenoptics™ portfolio is capable of interrogating multiple protein markers on any tissue or cytology slide preparation. Precision for Medicine has validated several immune biomarker panels across various therapeutic applications using both types of preparation. These immune panels are currently being used to monitor immune cell infiltration including cancer, psoriasis, lupus and atomic dermatitis.

“The Vectra Polaris imaging system offers an innovative approach to assessing immunotherapy candidates in translational and clinical research,” said Dr. Cliff Hoyt, Akoya Vice President of Translational and Scientific Affairs. “We are pleased to see this technology paired with ApoStream for a comprehensive method of imaging CTCs and improving our understanding of disease mechanisms in cancer.”

For more information on ApoCell and the ApoStream technology, please click here.

About Precision for Medicine

Precision for Medicine is the first biomarker-driven clinical research services organization supporting  life sciences companies in the use of biomarkers essential to targeting patient treatments more precisely and effectively. Precision applies novel biomarker approaches to clinical research that take advantage of the latest advancements in science and technology, focusing predominantly on genomics, immune-response assays, global specimen logistics, biomarker analytics, companion diagnostics, and clinical trial execution. Precision for Medicine is part of Precision Medicine Group, with more than 1,900 employees in 34 locations in the US, Canada, and Europe. For more information, visit www.PrecisionForMedicine.com.

About Akoya

Akoya Biosciences, The Spatial Biology Company™, offers the most comprehensive, end-to-end solutions for high-parameter tissue analysis from discovery through clinical and translational research, enabling the development of more precise therapies for immuno-oncology and other drug development applications. The company has two industry-leading platforms that empower investigators and researchers to gain a deeper understanding of complex diseases such as cancer, and other immune system or neurological disorders. The CODEX® system is the only benchtop platform that can efficiently quantify more than 40 biomarkers and is ideally suited for biomarker discovery. The Phenoptics™ platform is the only end-to-end multiplexed immunofluorescence solution with the robustness and high throughput necessary for translational research and clinical trials. For more information, please visit https://www.akoyabio.com/.   

Media Contact – Precision for Medicine
Louis Landon, Precision Medicine Group Media Relations
310-984-7707
louis.landon@precisionformedicine.com

Media Contact – Akoya
Michelle Linn, Bioscribe, Inc.
774-696-3803
michelle@bioscribe.com

ADDITION OF LEADING SUPPLIERS BOLSTERS PRECISION’S BIOMARKER SERVICE OFFERINGS– BRINGING UNPARALLELED SCIENCE, SCALE, AND SERVICE TO THE BIOSPECIMEN INDUSTRY

BETHESDA, MD – August 1, 2019 – Precision for Medicine, part of Precision Medicine Group, announced it has acquired leading biospecimen providers ProMedDx and GLAS, significantly expanding its capabilities and expertise in the biospecimen solutions space. With the acquisitions, Precision now offers an unmatched level of scientific understanding, high-quality specimen solutions, and global scale. 

The addition of ProMedDx and GLAS establishes an unrivaled biospecimen solutions platform within Precision, which operates one of the largest biorepositories in the world. ProMedDx is known throughout the diagnostics industry for its high-quality biofluid specimens, while GLAS is a leader in tissue-based samples. With an expanded sourcing network and client base, along with an enhanced global laboratory infrastructure, Precision can effectively leverage its unique insight as a scientific solutions provider to supply clients with hand-selected, fit-for-purposes specimens for R&D, biomarker development, and companion diagnostics.

Precision for Medicine is the first biomarker-driven clinical development organization supporting life sciences companies in the use of biomarkers essential to targeting patient treatments more precisely and effectively. Combining two world-class biospecimen organizations, across all specimen types, Precision further enhances its abilities to enable life science innovators with scientifically robust services to accelerate the pace of discovery, development, and commercialization of biomarkers.

ProMedDx is led by founders Jim Boushell and Jim Sperzel; GLAS is led by founder and pathologist Cullen Taylor, MD.

Commenting on the significance of the acquisitions, Precision for Medicine president Chad Clark explains, “We believe in the power of biomarkers to lead to novel, life-changing therapies, and we remain dedicated to providing unmatched, scientifically grounded global services. By bringing ProMedDx and GLAS into the Precision family, we are proud to offer unparalleled, global biospecimens solutions while also expanding our footprint in the exploding Massachusetts and North Carolina biotechnology sectors.”

In describing Precision’s unique capabilities, ProMedDx co-founder Jim Boushell comments, “Precision’s reputation as an expert in biomarker sciences is a real differentiator. Having been in the specimen industry for over 20 years, I can attest there are no other companies that possess Precision’s level of scientific understanding or breadth of solutions. We are thrilled to be joining Precision and leveraging its translational and scientific expertise to deliver the highest-quality solutions to the biopharmaceutical and diagnostic industry.”

Cullen Taylor, MD of GLAS adds, ”Clearly, the life sciences industry relies heavily upon medical and scientific insight. However, this expertise is often in short supply in biospecimen provision. It’s why we founded GLAS. By teaming up with Precision, we are able to expand this on-the-ground medical expertise to a highly advanced and expansive lab and clinical network—a hugely important distinction in the biospecimen industry.”

About Precision for Medicine
Precision for Medicine supports life sciences companies in the use of biomarkers essential to targeting patient treatments more precisely and effectively. Precision applies novel biomarker approaches to clinical research that take advantage of the latest advancements in science and technology, focusing predominantly on genomics, immune-response assays, global specimen logistics, biomarker analytics, companion diagnostics, and clinical trial execution. Precision for Medicine is part of Precision Medicine Group, with nearly 2,000 employees in 34 locations in the US, Canada, and Europe. For more information, visit precisionformedicine.com. For more information about our biospecimen solutions, visit precisionbiospecimens.com.

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Media Contact:
Louis Landon, Precision Medicine Group Media Relations
310-984-7707
louis.landon@precisionmedicinegrp.com

We are excited to share that Carolyn Morgan, president of Precisioneffect, will be inducted into the MM&M Hall of Femme. This program honors honor standout U.S. healthcare commercial executives who have made a significant impact on their organization’s success in the past year. 

ADDITION OF NATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CAPABILITY PROVIDES CLIENTS WITH INTUITIVE, INTERPRETABLE, AND INTERACTIVE BIOMARKER-BASED MODELS

Bethesda, MD – March 6, 2019 – Precision for Medicine, part of Precision Medicine Group, today announced the acquisition of SimplicityBio, adding artificial intelligence to Precision’s QuartzBio™ multiomic data integration and informatics platform. The addition of an artificial intelligence engine to QuartzBio provides Precision’s clients the most robust, sophisticated end-to-end solution for the “big data” challenge observed in biomarker-guided drug development—furthering their mission of maximizing the value and utility of biomarker data generated in the course of a clinical trial.

Strengthens Precision’s Position as Leading Partner to Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Companies at All Life Cycle Stages

Bethesda, MD – December 17, 2018 – Precision Medicine Group, LLC. (Precision) today announced it has acquired Stern Investor Relations, Inc. (Stern IR), a leading investor relations firm for entrepreneurial biotechnology and healthcare companies. With this acquisition, Precision significantly expands its capabilities to include a complete range of strategic communication services aimed at facilitating capital formation and enhancing client visibility and productive interactions with the financial community. Stern IR supports more than 70 companies in the entrepreneurial biotechnology and healthcare sectors, and its core competencies include creation of investor relations strategy aimed at lowering the cost of capital, positioning and messaging development, relationship building with the financial community, and seamless tactical execution.

PROMISING RESULTS DERIVED FROM THE PIVOTAL PHASE 3 TAPPAS TRIAL OF TRC105 AND VATRIENT® IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED ANGIOSARCOMA

HOUSTON, TX – November 14, 2018 – Precision for Medicine and TRACON Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TCON) announced today the presentation of biomarker results from the TAPPAS phase 3 clinical trial that utilized ApoCell’s proprietary circulating tumor cell (CTC) enrichment system, ApoStream. The study, titled Detection of Endoglin-Expressing CTCs in Patients Enrolled in an Adaptive Enrichment Phase 3 Trial of TRC105 and Pazopanib Versus Pazopanib Alone in Patients with Advanced Angiosarcoma (TAPPAS), is the first of its kind to show the detection and capture of CTCs from angiosarcoma cancer patients. Interim study results were presented at the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) annual meeting in Rome, Italy.

ADDITION OF HOUSTON-BASED LAB WILL INCLUDE PROPRIETARY APOSTREAM® LIQUID BIOPSY TECHNOLOGY,  FURTHER EXPANDING PRECISION’S LARGE ARRAY OF BIOMARKER CAPABILITIES

Bethesda, MD – October 16, 2018 – Precision for Medicine, part of the Precision Medicine Group, announced today it has acquired Houston-based ApoCell, a next-generation lab specializing in the identification and analysis of biomarkers. The acquisition adds the ApoStream® liquid biopsy technology and deep expertise in tissue profiling to Precision’s robust suite of specialty laboratory and biomarker informatics services. Providing these advanced capabilities to clients further positions Precision as a scientific frontrunner in the rapidly expanding precision medicine space.

On Wednesday, September 26^th at 10:00am PDT/1:00pm EDT please join us for a special, live webinar:

Navigating the FDA’s Final Guidance on HCEI and PIE:
Value Communication That Works 

Presented by:

In a new editorial for the Journal of Clinical Pathways, Jason Shafrin addresses the appeal of precision benefit design, identifying three key challenges to patient-centered implementation.

New announced research finds Epiontis ID™ technology can advance newborn screening as well as treatment of HIV patients in low-resource countries.

We are excited to announce that Precision Value & Health, a business unit of Precision Medicine Group, has been ranked #6 in MM&M magazine’s Agency Top 100 list! With a 10.6% increase in revenue from the previous year, they are continuing to add talent and services–partnering with pharmaceutical and life sciences companies to ensure patient access to life-changing therapies.

EXPANDED EMPHASIS ON INTERPRETING THE SCIENCE OF COMPLEX MEDICAL INNOVATIONS
BOLSTERS PRECISION’S CAPABILITIES TO SUPPORT COMMERCIAL AND R&D CLIENT BASE

Bethesda, MD – Tuesday, July 10, 2018 – Precision Medicine Group, LLC., announced it is acquiring ETHOS Health Communications, a Pennsylvania-based agency specializing in the interpretation and communication of innovative medical science. The acquisition of ETHOS, which informs physicians, providers and other stakeholders through medical affairs- and marketing-based scientific content, allows Precision to offer its clients a significantly expanded cadre of doctoral-level science and medical communications specialists.

PHE in Health Affairs, Value in Health,and more…

Health Affairs Blog Article on Patient-Centered Formularies

PHE Senior Director Jason Shafrin and Director Mark Linthicum published an article on the importance of accounting for patient heterogeneity in formulary design and the potential use of tools to help payers understand and assess patient-centered value.

Patient-Centered Formularies: Steps In The Right Direction, But Challenges Remain. Health Affairs Blog, April 11, 2018.DOI: 10.1377/hblog20180404.510552

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Health Affairs Blog Article on Components of Value Frameworks

PHE Scientific Advisor Anupam Jena, along with Lauren Neves and Randy Burkholder, published an article in the Health Affairs Blog on April 16, 2018, on the importance of capturing comprehensive components of the value of medical innovations in value frameworks.

Do Value Frameworks Fully Capture The Value Of Innovation? Health Affairs Blog, April 16, 2018.DOI: 10.1377/hblog20180409.228386

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Value in Health Study on the Impact of Improved Mobility

PHE researchers quantified the impact of improved mobility on using PHE’s proprietary microsimulation THEMIS, finding that improvements in mobility are likely to lead to significant reductions in medical expenditures and nursing home utilization and significant increases in employment.

Kabiri M, et al. The Long-Term Health and Economic Value of Improved Mobility among Older Adults in the United States. Value in Health. 2018. In Press.

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Pharmaceutical Executive Article on the Role of Pharmaceutical Companies in Value Assessment

PHE’s Ross Maclean and Jeroen Jansen published an article in Pharmaceutical Executiveon the role of pharmaceutical companies in conducting transparent and relevant evaluations of value, advocating an open-source approach to conducting cost-effectiveness evaluations.

Transparent and Relevant Evaluations of Value: An Active Role for Pharma

Precision is pleased to announce that Dan Renick has been named as one of PM360 Magazine’s annual ELITE Award winners. Congratulations, Dan!

Addition of London-based multichannel healthcare agency complements and strategically expands existing global expertise and capabilities

BOSTON, MA – April 24, 2018 – precisioneffect, the healthcare advertising agency dedicated to working with companies that seek to change the standard of care, today announced it is acquiring Big Pink, a leading European multichannel marketing healthcare agency recognized for providing strategically designed and creatively delivered campaigns to the pharmaceutical industry worldwide. The acquisition marks an important expansion of precisioneffect’s  global footprint and employee base, and positions the company to provide its clients with additional value through enhanced services and expertise.

TAPPING FORMER PAYER DECISION MAKERS BOYCE, HONCZ AND OYEKAN
BRINGS UNRIVALED INSIGHTS TO CLIENTS

APRIL 18th, 2018 – New York, NY – Precision for Value, the market leader in supporting global pharmaceutical and life sciences companies in demonstrating the value and outcomes of innovative medical products, today announced significant additions to its Payer Strategy Team with the hiring of former payer executives Marylou Buyse, Joe Honcz, and Elizabeth Oyekan.

Precision’s All Access is our bimonthly newsletter with original content written by our payer experts for market access leaders.

In an interview with KNect365, Precision Oncology’s Dr. Tandy Tipps, VP, Oncology Site Network, tells you how to match the right sites to the right trials and enable the opportunities of precision oncology trials. 

In an article in Pharmaceutical Commerce, Precision’s Dominic Galante and Maureen Hennessey stress the importance of patient support services among pharma companies, payers, and providers.

In part 2 of their Guest Commentary series, Precision’s Todd Edgar, Alex Grosvenor, and Kellie Rademacher highlight the takeaways of the NOR-SWITCH trial and how the EU’s view of biosimilars as therapeutic alternatives is influencing US policy.

Register today for our upcoming free live webinar Defend Your Value: Syncing Evidence and Access Strategies to Prepare for US Value Assessments on Wednesday, April 18, at 1:00 pm ET.

Precision’s Ross Maclean and Jeroen Jansen encourage biopharma and medical device industries to embrace the developments around value assessment and to take a leading role in improving the transparency of cost-effectiveness evaluations. 

In a feature in Pharma Live, Precision’s Jeremy Schafer and Maureen Hennessy predict that the projected growth in healthcare spend is creating an inevitable marketplace shift from volume to value.

Precision’s Jason Shafrin comments in PMLive on the importance of real-world evidence and the benefits of electronic medical records in generating evidence.

With increased biomarker and specialty lab data being incorporated into FDA submissions, drug developers are running into challenges as they prepare data that comply with new regulatory requirements.

We are very proud to announce that Medical Marketing & Media (MM&M) has named Precision Value & Health President Dan Renick as one of its Top 10 Innovation Catalysts for 2018.

We are pleased to announce that Med Ad News has named Precision Value & Health as a finalist for the 2018 Vision Award, to be presented as part of their annual Manny Awards ceremony on April 19 in New York City.

A new attention-grabbing PHE study, commissioned by the Alzheimer’s Association, investigates the potential savings of obtaining an earlier diagnosis.

In Part 1 of a two-part series, Todd Edgar, Alex Grosvenor, and Kellie Rademacher discuss EU biosimilar policies and their impact on the US approach, with a focus on payer coverage.

Jason Shafrin, senior director at Precision Health Economics, shares his initial thoughts on the merger of Cigna and Express Scripts with NBCNews.

Jeremy Schafer, senior vice president, director, Payer Access Solutions, discusses UnitedHealthcare’s recent announcement to apply rebates at point of sale for its fully insured commercial members.

Ami Gopalan, vice president, Payer Access Solutions with Precision for Value, discusses copay accumulator programs and their impact on patient deductibles and out-of-pocket costs.

With many manufacturers experimenting with outcomes-based pricing, Jeremy Schafer, senior vice president, director, Payer Access Solutions, offers his expertise on whether this approach should become standard for all specialty drug launches.

Dan Renick is a featured expert on drug pricing and defining value as a source for the Med Ad News Special Feature, “The Value Equation.”

Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer is featured in Managed Healthcare Executive, offering expert insight on how rebates contribute to patient savings as well as greater transparency among stakeholders.

Andrew Cournoyer, vice president at Precision for Value, offers an initial reaction to CMS’s new flexibility on offering benefits and controlling costs, which are expected to grow the Medicare Advantage program.

In an original article appearing in Journal of Clinical Pathways, Ashwin Athri, SVP Precision Promotional Effectiveness, discusses how variations in health systems influence oncology practices.

Precision for Medicine’s Judi Smith and Karen Richards highlight key takeaways from the FDA’s Cardiac Troponin Assays workshop.

Payer, Health System and Channel influences driving utilization patterns of specialty products in Local Markets will be the focus of Larry Blandford and Ashwin Athri’s presentation at sPCMA March 5 in Orlando, Florida. Identifying such influences, they note, can help guide interventions and go to market strategies.

Precision Value & Health president Dan Renick speaks with American Healthcare Leader on the evolution of the healthcare industry and the challenges manufacturers face today.

We are proud to be recognized as one of the Top 20 Bioinformatics Solution Providers by respected technology trends magazine CIO Applications.

Jeremy Schafer, director of Precision’s Payer Access Solutions, details the challenges facing gene therapy reimbursement and offers potential solutions.

Jeremy Schafer, director of Precision’s Payer Access Solutions, shares his thoughts on drug pricing, M&A activity, 340B changes, and other things top-of-mind for 2018.

The February issue of All Access, Precision’s free newsletter featuring articles by former payers written specifically for market access leaders, is now available.

ADDITION OF NEW YORK-BASED FIRM COMPLEMENTS AND STRATEGICALLY EXPANDS PRECISION’S EXISTING GLOBAL MARKET ACCESS EXPERTISE AND CAPABILITIES

New York, NY – Tuesday, January 30, 2018 – Precision Value & Health today announced it is acquiring Insight Strategy Advisors (ISA), a New York-based leading market access consultancy supporting value demonstration, pricing, reimbursement, and distribution for biopharmaceutical companies. ISA will become part of Precision Xtract, the global market access consultancy within Precision Value & Health.

Jeremy Schafer, SVP, Director of Precision’s Payer Access Solutions, offers advice to healthcare executives on helping patients get access to crucial new cancer drugs.

Precision for Medicine’s Jared Kohler and Tobias Guennel highlight the challenges for researchers pursuing biomarkers and specialty lab data that meet new FDA regulatory standards.

Jeremy Schafer, director of Precision’s Payer Access Solutions, offers insights into combating the risk and exposures of gene therapy.

Jeremy Schafer, director of Precision’s Payer Access Solutions, weighs in on the concern of payer coverage for Dermira’s acne topical treatment.

In a new commentary for Pharmaceutical Market Europe, Precision for Value’s Austin Speier, VP, Emerging Technology, examines the promise and advantages of integrating digital biomarkers into precision medicine.

In an in-depth commentary for Pharmaceutical Market Europe, senior economist Jason Shafrin argues for real-world evidence (RWE) to become the “gold standard” of scientific evidence and heath technology assessments.

In its weekly digest, GenomeWeb reports on Precision for Medicine’s expansion of biomarker data management and translational informatics services.

Chief Medical Officer Gerry Messerschmidt authors a new commentary in Biocompare outlining critical success factors toward cancer vaccine development.

Jeremy Schafer, director of Precision’s Payer Access Solutions, contributes his perspectives on drug pricing in a PharmaVOICE feature article.

ADDITION OF GENEVA-BASED TEAM COMPLEMENTS U.S. EXPERTS;
QuartzBio? RELEASE ACCELERATES BIOMARKER DATA MANAGEMENT
AND TRANSLATIONAL INFORMATICS CAPABILITIES

Bethesda, MD and Geneva, Switzerland – January 9, 2018 – Precision for Medicine, part of Precision Medicine Group, today announced it is expanding its biomarker data management and translational informatics services into Europe. The addition of a Geneva, Switzerland–based team of experts complements Precision’s US offerings to provide clients with truly global translational research services. The Geneva team also gives Precision another European operational base, continuing Precision’s active international expansion.

BERKSHIRE PARTNERS AND TPG GROWTH CO-LEAD $275 MILLION INVESTMENT AS THE COMPANY POSITIONS FOR THE NEXT PHASE OF GROWTH

BETHESDA, MD — December 19, 2017 — Precision Medicine Group (PMG) announced today that it has reached an agreement for a $275 million investment that positions the company for the next phase of growth.

Precision Xtract is proud to be named one of the year’s most innovative developments by industry insider PM360.

A new Precision Health Economics-authored study on the societal value of CAR-T therapy is generating a significant level of interest within the scientific community.

Rare Disease Report interviews Chief Medical Officer Gerald Messerschmidt while at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting.

Precisioneffect Chief Creative Officer Deborah Lotterman pens a new commentary in the latest edition of MedAd News, “Making Sense of the Irrational.”

Senior Vice President Jeremy Schafer and Chief Creative Officer Deborah Lotterman submit a new commentary to MedAd News,“Enriching the Patient Journey: When Cost Creates Side Effects.”

In the latest edition of Managed Care, Precision for Value Payer Strategy Team members Ami Gopalan and Jeremy Schafer take a look at some of the cost-sharing strategies being employed by PBMs and ask the question, What latent effects might these programs have?

In the latest edition of Clinical Leader, Precision for Value’s Dominic Galante addresses how real-world evidence is being leveraged after the adoption of the 21st Century Cures Act, and provides some next steps for life science companies. 

MM&M editor-in-chief Marc Iskowitz quotes Precision’s Maureen Hennessey and cites new findings from Precision for Value’s Rapid Pulse survey in an article examining Otsuka’s new “digital drug” and the continued importance of adherence.

In the current edition of Managed Healthcare Executive, Precision Oncology’s chief medical officer Dr. Gerry Messerschmidt comments on the unprecedented pace of outcomes improvements.

In a new article for Drug Discovery & Development, Precision Health Economics senior research economist Jason Shafrin addresses the use of real-world evidence, why we need it and how to effectively implement it.

Must-read morning briefing POLITICO Pulse talks with Innovation & Value Initiative (IVI) executive director Darius Lakdawalla on the launch of a first-of-its-kind open-source project for determining the value of medical treatments.

Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer discusses the impact of new and proposed state legislation on drug pricing with MedCity News. According to Schafer, new policies could present challenges for manufacturers in evolving their pricing strategies. 

NEW ALIGNMENT OF INDUSTRY-LEADING CONSULTING AND DATA SERVICES PROVIDES UNIFIED HEALTH ECONOMICS AND OUTCOMES RESEARCH, PRICING, GLOBAL MARKET ACCESS, AND PAYER ANALYTICS TO SUPPORT PHARMACEUTICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES INNOVATORS

New York, NY – November 2, 2017 – Precision Value & Health today announced the formation of Precision Xtract—a new, focused alignment of the company’s global market access consulting and data services. The move is designed to offer clients an interconnected team of specialists developing strategies, tools, and tactics in support of next generation approaches to drug development and product value demonstration.

Precision Health Economics Head of Medical, Dr. Ross Maclean, participates in a Q&A with patient advocate forum Conquer discussing the importance of personalized medicine.

Precision Oncology’s Gerry Messerschmidt, MD, talks with FiercePharma’s Eric Sagonowsky and predicts we’ll see licensed cancer vaccines in the next 2 to 3 years.

In the latest edition of Managed Healthcare Executive, Precision’s Ami Gopalan shares key insights from an exclusive Rapid Pulse survey. The findings shed light on how payers use nonpayer-generated data to make formulary decisions.

In Managed Healthcare Executive, Precision Oncology’s Gerald Messerschmidt and Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer are tapped to provide their expert perspectives on the cost and value challenges facing the new class of CAR T-cell therapies.

NPR describes the efforts of Precision Medicine Group cofounder Ethan Leder to deliver desperately needed medical and emergency supplies to Puerto Rico.

Precision Medicine Group cofounder Ethan Leder is featured in the Johns Hopkins University publication HUB, detailing his recent efforts to help personally deliver desperately needed medical and emergency supplies to Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

Precision for Medicine’s Scott Marshall, managing director, Translational Informatics & Diagnostics, participates in a Q&A with Drug Discovery & Development’s Ryan Bushey. Marshall outlines the benefits biomarkers can yield in early-stage trials.

To read the complete interview, click here.

David Parker, SVP, Diagnostics Solutions, was interviewed along with a panel of experts on changes in CDx development in Clinical Omics.

GenomeWeb covers Precision for Medicine’s recent acquisition of Epiontis, summarizing Precision’s busy year of growth and highlighting the expanded capabilities now available to clients.

ADDITION OF BERLIN-BASED LAB EXPANDS PRECISION’S LARGE ARRAY OF IMMUNE MONITORING CAPABILITIES AND BOLSTERS GLOBAL FOOTPRINT

Bethesda, MD and Berlin, Germany – October 4th, 2017 – Precision for Medicine, part of the Precision Medicine Group, announced today it has acquired Berlin-based Epiontis GmbH, a next-generation European specialty laboratory providing immune monitoring services through a novel, patent-protected epigenetic platform. The acquisition adds Epiontis’s unique epigenetic technology and expertise to Precision’s robust suite of immune monitoring services for clinical trials, bringing additional value and capabilities to clients. It expands Precision’s growing global footprint and further positions the company as a scientific frontrunner in the rapidly expanding precision medicine space.

Precision for Value is excited to be debuting a new publication– the Precision All Access Newsletter. All Access is an exclusive bi-monthly publication featuring key insights from our team of former payers intended specifically for market access leaders.

Precision Value & Health President Dan Renick speaks with Ryan Black from Healthcare Analytics News, discussing the evolution of precision medicine and the importance of demonstrating value for new therapies to encourage reimbursement.

Pharmaceutical companies face many challenges: developing life-changing products that meet the needs of patients, physicians, and payers; adhering to regulatory standards; and managing health technology and payer scrutiny—all while trying to satisfy investors.

With the growth and increasing applications of mHealth come the need to regulate, and the biopharmaceutical industry and regulatory bodies such as the FDA are coming together to develop frameworks for mHealth utilization in clinical trials.

NEW ALIGNMENT OF INDUSTRY-LEADING SERVICES PROVIDES INTEGRATED SCIENCE, RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY, ANALYTICS, AND COMMUNICATIONS TO INNOVATORS IN LIFE SCIENCES

Bethesda, MD – September 21, 2017 – Precision Medicine Group, a specialized services company supporting next generation approaches to drug development and commercialization, today announced the formation of Precision Value & Health—a focused set of complementary services working in concert to help pharmaceutical and life sciences clients establish the clinical, economic, and humanistic value of innovative therapies to payers, healthcare professionals, and patients.

In the latest edition of ClinicalOMICS, Precision for Medicine President Chad Clark elaborates on the recent acquisition of rare and orphan CRO Agility Clinical.

Tracy Walker from Managed Healthcare Executive talks with Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer regarding Kymriah, the first gene therapy approved for cancer treatment.

Extending Precision’s Capabilities Into One of the Fastest Growing Areas of Drug Development

Bethesda, MD and Carlsbad, CA – September 6, 2017 – Precision for Medicine, part of the Precision Medicine Group, announced today it has acquired Agility Clinical (“Agility”), the leading contract research organization (CRO) focused specifically on clinical development of rare disease and orphan therapies. The acquisition creates the first comprehensive, fully integrated orphan therapy clinical development services provider, combining the highest standards in global clinical trial execution and biometrics expertise with sophisticated biomarker and specialty lab capabilities.

In a new commentary for US News & World Report, Precision Health Economics’ senior research economist Jason Shafrin defines and elaborates on the field of precision medicine.

In a new article on PM360, Precision for Value executive vice president Bruce Leavitt provides step-by-step guidance for drug makers who find their product on one of the recently released formulary exclusion lists.

In the latest edition of Managed Healthcare Executive, Jeremy Schafer, Precision for Value senior vice president, director of payer access solutions, discusses value in oncology and explains how payers are using value frameworks in their drug management process.

Precision Oncology Chief Medical Officer Gerald Messerschmidt sits down to talk with ASCO Post‘s Ronald Piana regarding the future of immunotherapy.

PHE Scientific Advisor Anupam Jena, coauthor of a new study on preeclampsia in the September issue of American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, discussed the study’s findings and the growing economic impact of the condition with the Orlando Sentinel’s Amelia Cheatham.

In a new article appearing in the latest MM&M, Precision for Value EVP and Managing Partner Kelly Wilder shares her perspective on the challenges of marketing new heart drugs.

Precision for Medicine President Chad Clark speaks with Alex Philippides of Clinical OMICs to discuss Precision’s European expansion.

Precision for Medicine’s Chad Clark, President, and Scott Marshall, Managing Director of Biomarker and IVD Analytics, contribute a new commentary for Bioscience Technology Online on the challenges of biomarker data management.

Carolyn Morgan, precisioneffect president, sits down with Take the Lead blogger Michele Weldon to discuss parental leave, the healthcare industry, parenting at work, and “beyonding.”

Leadership in Place; Clinical Operations Teams Growing Throughout Europe

Bethesda, MD – July 6th, 2017 – Precision for Medicine today reported important progress in its global expansion plan. Precision for Medicine, with its oncology research team Precision Oncology, is rapidly expanding its global footprint to better serve clients developing oncology treatments. Investment in executive leadership and operational teams are underway across Europe, providing integrated, full-service clinical trial execution services throughout the continent.

Precision is pleased to announce that both precisioneffect and Precision for Value have been named to MM&M magazine’s Top 100 Healthcare Agencies for 2017. The agencies’ perennial inclusion on MM&M’s best list can be directly attributed to strong quantitative capabilities, outstanding creative, and industry-leading client retention.

In Managed Healthcare Executive, Precision Oncology Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gerry Messerschmidt discusses the many recent advances in treating multiple myeloma.

After spending millions on R&D just to get a product to market—and millions more promoting it—there’s nothing worse than when a launch falls flat. In a just-published panorama on PM360, Precision for Value’s Kelly Wilder identifies several critical mistakes that pharma companies make that can reduce the perceived value of a product in the marketplace.

In this month’s Drug Topics, correspondent Kathleen Gannon Longo talks with Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer on the potentially tremendous impact that value assessments will have on future patient reimbursement decisions.

During the recent ISPOR conference, Ross Maclean, Precision Health Economics’ SVP, Head of Medical, sat down to talk with Med Ad News’ Christiane Truelove on new opportunities for payer access in light of new FDA draft guidance around section 3037 of the 21st Century Cures Act.

In a new commentary appearing in The Wall Street Journal, Precision Health Economics cofounders Dana Goldman and Darius Lakdawalla turn to the national pastime to provide a fresh perspective on the issue of drug pricing and the return on investment pharmaceutical companies need to sustain innovation.

In a new commentary for PharmExec.com, Precision for Value SVP and Managing Director Jackie De Angelis outlines some of the most common mistakes that hinder access when launching a new drug.

In the latest edition of Managed Healthcare Executive, Precision for Value’s Kellie Rademacher provides her perspective on the magazine’s second annual managed care pharmacy survey.

In a new guest column appearing in the latest edition of Clinical Leader, Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer argues for the inclusion of value measurements into oncology trials, outlining the potential end points as well as the significant rewards that can be gained after product launch due to the enhanced value proposition.

For the second year in a row, Precision Health Economics Senior Research Economist Jason Shafrin’s blog, “Healthcare Economist,” has been named by Intelligent Economist to their list of Top 100 Economics Blogs (worldwide).

In the current supplemental issue of Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy (JMCP), Precision’s Jeremy Schafer, Dominic Galante, and Jason Shafrin share results of a recent survey of payers discerning payers’ use of value tools in healthcare decision-making.

Congratulations to Associate Health Economist Abhishek Sharma, part of Precision’s Evidence Strategy, Generation, and Communications team, for his acceptance into the World Heart Federation’s Emerging Leaders (EL) program. The program is part of a WHF initiative to reduce premature mortality from noncommunicable, chronic diseases by 25% by 2025.

In the latest edition of Specialty Pharmacy News, Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer and Janet Serluco discuss their recent payer survey reflecting strong concerns over immunotherapy combination costs and usage. The authors suggest that building payer engagement with the provider community is one key to managing combination treatments.

At the Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit 2017, Precision for Value’s Jorge Font spoke about his presentation with Marie Rosenthal from Specialty Pharmacy Continuum on the significant impact big employers are having in revising the approaches to specialty pharmacy benefit administration and pricing. Font shared his perspective that the real payers are, in fact, employers.

Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer talks with Managed Healthcare Executive about a recent Precision HCV survey, highlighting unmet needs cited by payers, and what can be done to encourage payers to ease coverage policies for the next wave of HCV drugs.

Congratulations to Precision Health Economics, and in particular the Evidence Strategy, Generation, and Communication (ESGC) practice group, for their outstanding efforts in support of the development of new legislation and FDA guidelines allowing biopharmaceutical manufacturers to more proactively share clinical and economic information with population health decision-makers on emerging therapies.

Precision for Value’s Larry Blandford offers a new commentary in STAT First Opinion, insisting that payers and the pharmaceutical industry come together to develop a value-based drug reimbursement system. He suggests taking a page from the playbook developed for electronic prescribing as the key to moving forward.

Precision’s David Parker, PhD, senior vice president, diagnostics solutions, recently spoke with Clinical OMICs Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson about some of the issues inherent in CDx development relationships.

FiercePharma interviews precisioneffect’s Carolyn Morgan and Deborah Lotterman, showcasing the creative concepts behind Precision’s buzz-worthy Boston subway takeover ad campaign.

Congratulations to our CDM and EDC teams from Precision Oncology and Precision for Medicine for being recognized by Oracle with the Excellence in Industry Service–Americas Award for 2017! Oracle was pleased to recognize Precision as an industry-leading, niche CRO dedicated to oncology studies and precision medicine initiatives. Another great example of the integration synergy generated on an ongoing basis—with Precision Oncology providing Oracle with clinical data management and Precision for Medicine providing electronic data capture builds.

Jeremy Schafer and Maureen Hennessey promote antimicrobial stewardship in a new commentary for Managed Healthcare Executive, offering 4 specific steps: rewarding antimicrobial stewardship, leveraging quality scores, implementing appropriate controls, and the establishment of patient education campaigns.

In the latest edition of Life Science Leader, Precision Oncology president Pat Devitt Risse contributes a new guest column: “Bet On Biomarkers for Better Outcomes.” In the article, Pat advocates for greater use of biomarkers used to accurately pinpoint the patient population that will benefit from a drug during clinical trials.

Precision for Value’s Kelly Wilder is interviewed by PharmaVoice and provides her perspectives on the payer landscape, the definition of value, and best practices for pharmaceutical companies.

The recent AMCP presentation by Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer and Maureen Hennessey, “The Present and Future of Oncology Care Management” is highlighted in the latest edition of Managed Healthcare Executive.

Denver (3-30-17)—The oncology landscape is rapidly evolving. A Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America report noted that 836 oncology drugs and vaccines are in the pipeline, 123 of which are for lung cancer, and 80% of pipeline agents are potential first-in-class therapies. Because of this, existing treatment paradigms are regularly upset. In addition, oncology costs continue to grow, with a reported $105 billion spent globally in 2015 and projected to rise 7.5% to 11.5% annually through 2020. In response, payers are using clinical pathways, preferred product and exclusion lists, and value assessment framework tools for better management of costs and care. Value-based risk sharing models among payers, providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers are also evolving.

Congratulations to PHE authors Joanna MacEwan, Jason Shafrin, and Darius Lakdawalla who, along with coauthors Felicia Forma, Ainslie Hatch, and Jean-Pierre Lindenmayer, have been awarded the 2017 JMCP Award for Excellence.

The JMCP Award for Excellence is an annual award recognizing a single article that represents the best scholarly work in managed care pharmacy. The paper, “Patterns of Adherence to Oral Atypical Antipsychotics Among Patients Diagnosed With Schizophrenia,” brings a cutting-edge statistical technique to the analysis of adherence to serious mental illness medicines.

Precision for Value president Dan Renick is interviewed for Pharmaceutical Commerce, providing his in-depth perspective on today’s payer and provider markets.

READ THE ARTICLE IN PHARMACEUTICAL COMMERCE

Precision for Medicine’s Scott Marshall and Jared Kohler address the challenges and importance of harmonizing biomarker data in a new editorial for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News (GEN). Scott and Jared make the point that generating, tracking, and harmonizing biomarker data and clinical data in real time to inform timely decision-making is critical in modern clinical trials.

As healthcare spending continues to rise, payers and providers struggle to accurately measure value to patients, and with health systems all over the world shifting towards paying for value, not just volume, these efforts have never been more important.

Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer comments on pricing and reimbursement of dupilumab, Sanofi/Regeneron’s first atopic dermatitis biologic, in BioPharm Insight.

Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer highlights what can be done to encourage payers to ease coverage policies for these drugs in the next wave of HCV treatment.

Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer discusses safety concerns over some hepatitis C drugs in the latest edition of Drug Topics.

PHE economist Jason Shafrin talks prices, politics, and the problem of monopolies with eyeforpharma’s Hugh Gosling.

Life Sciences Companies Now Given Unprecedented Access and Visualization of Quality Performance Data

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

February 8, 2017 – New York, NY – Life sciences companies stand to be the primary beneficiary of a unique license agreement that integrates the industry’s most robust quality performance data available into a single tool. Precision for Value (PFV) has entered into an arrangement with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) to incorporate the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) data into the PFV Quality Navigator Tool (Qnav®).

Quality and Population Health Expert to Serve on Coordinating Committee and Chair Physical and Mental Health Technical Expert Panel 

February 2, 2017 – New York, NY – Precision for Value, the market leader supporting global pharmaceutical companies in demonstrating the value of innovative medical products, today announced that Maureen Hennessey, SVP, Director, Quality and Population Health Systems, has been appointed to the National Quality Forum’s (NQF) Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Project 2016-2017 (IAP). She will serve on the multi-stakeholder coordinating committee and as chair of the technical expert panel (TEP) supporting physical and mental health integration.

Precision for Value’s Dan Renick returns to Managed Healthcare Executive to examine potential healthcare policies in the new Trump administration.

Precision for Value president Dan Renick discusses the fallout from the recently blocked merger between Aetna and Humana, in the latest edition of Managed Healthcare Executive.

Precision subject matter expert, Tandy Tipps, highlights how oncology sites can work with their development partners to make study start up achievable within 90 days.

Tapping Former Payer Decision Makers Brings Unrivaled Insights to Clients

 January 5, 2017 – New York, NY – Precision for Value, the market leader in supporting global pharmaceutical and life sciences companies in demonstrating the value and outcomes of innovative medical products, today announced major additions to its Payer Strategy Team with the hiring and promotion of several key executives.

Precision is proud to announce that PHE scientific advisor Anupam Jena, MD has been named by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of the 60 most powerful people in healthcare in 2016, joining other influential leaders such as Robert Califf, Frances Collins, David Feinberg, Bill & Melinda Gates, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. Included in their annual list, Dr. Jena was recognized in part for his study published this year in JAMA that found female physicians at some of the nation’s most prominent public medical schools earn nearly $20,000 less a year on average than their male colleagues.

Congratulations, Dr. Jena!

Chief Creative Officer Deborah Lotterman and Chief Experience Officer Paul Balagot recently offered their perspectives for MedAd News, as part of their Healthcare Agency Roundtable series.

Precision for Value’s Maureen Hennessey and Larry Blandford examine Medicare Advantage Five-Star Plans, focusing on innovation– in the latest edition of Journal of Clinical Pathways (JCP).

PHE’s Mark Linthicum and Jason Shafrin discuss advancing the science of value assessment and the mission of the Innovation and Value Initiative in the latest edition of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.

PHE Senior Research Economist Jason Shafrin’s latest Op-ed is featured in The Washington Post, as part of their “In Theory” series. The commentary, “How we should pay for cures, according to economics,” examines the current complexities of drug pricing and advocates for value-based pricing structures.

New Office Space at One Grand Central Place Bolsters Square Feet to Nearly 18,000 

December 8, 2016 – New York, NY – Precision for Value, the market leader in supporting global pharmaceutical and life sciences companies in achieving commercial excellence, announced the move of its New York City office into a larger location in midtown Manhattan to accommodate rapid growth and an expanding workforce. The office will now be located in One Grand Central Place at 60 East 42nd Street. The nearly 18,000 square foot space will be home to over 80 employees.

PHE Scientific Advisor Anupam Jena was recently featured on the award-winning podcast Freakonomics, as part of their “Bad Medicine: The Story of 98.6” 3-part series. Episode one addresses some of the historical mistakes produced by “trial and error” medicine, and asks whether the new era of evidence-based medicine is the solution. Dr. Jena is featured in the first and third episodes of the series.

PHE Senior Research Economist Jason Shafrin presents an interesting picture of the value and pricing of precision medicine, in a new commentary for MedCity News.

Precision Health Economics founders Darius Lakdawalla and Dana Goldman contribute a new commentary for STAT News: “Election Verdict: Pharma Needs a New Prescription.”

Precision for Value’s Dominic Galante and Maureen Hennessey discuss the subject of patient engagement tools with Keith Loria from Medical Economics, and why more physicians aren’t using them.

Precision Health Economics’ senior research economist Jason Shafrin discusses value-based drug pricing and the benefits for payers in HealthcareDIVE.

Dan Renick, President of global market access specialists Precision for Value, explains “the wedge strategy”in a new article for STAT News.

Deborah Lotterman discusses the challenges translating medical science into communications in STAT News:

Academic and Industry Leaders Launch Initiative to Advance Value Measurement

Innovation and Value Initiative to apply advanced scientific methodologies and multi-sector leadership to improve value measurement in healthcare

Bethesda, MD, September 28, 2016 – Precision Health Economics today launched the Innovation and Value Initiative (IVI), a multi-stakeholder scientific initiative to advance the way value is measured and rewarded in the healthcare marketplace.

Carolyn Morgan, precisioneffect’s president, is profiled in a new article featured in STAT News.

Precision Health Economics’ Scientific Advisor Amitabh Chandra is interviewed on the subject of precision medicine pricing, in a new Q&A for STAT News.

Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer discusses managing biosimilars and the implications for health systems in a new article for Biosimilars Development.

Precision subject matter expert Pat Devitt examines the 3 advances driving oncology clinical trial success in a special editorial for STAT News.

On Monday, September 12th, 2016 at AEI, health policy experts representing practitioners and industry discussed the issue of high drug prices.

On the panel, Precision Health Economics’ Tomas Philipson cast doubt on the claim that research and development determine pricing, arguing that in reality causality runs in the opposite direction. He noted potential flaws in value-based pricing and a one-size-fits-all-approach to global drug development and argued for more robust credit markets in health care.

Precision Health Economics’ Senior Research Economist Jason Shafrin provides an in-depth analysis of value frameworks in a new article for Pharmaceutical Commerce.

Precision Health Economics’ Dana Goldman addresses the firestorm created by Mylan’s dramatic price hikes for their EpiPen in a new commentary published in STAT News: “To Prevent Another EpiPen Controversy, the Government Should Step In.”

Precision Health Economics’ Dana Goldman offers his latest opinion piece for the New York Times,”Hospital Care for Those Who Can Afford It Helps Care for Those Who Can’t.” In his commentary, Dr. Goldman suggests that concierge care may paradoxically be the best hope for ensuring continued access to healthcare for the indigent uninsured.

Precision for Value thought leader Jeremy Schafer was recently interviewed by BioPharm Insight’s Reynald Castaneda, providing his perspective into projected competition in the biosimilar marketplace.

In the latest edition of Life Science Leader, Precision’s Andre Pinheiro, Mansi Vithlani, Kyle Sarnataro, and Alex Grosvenor examine the introduction of Anti-TNF Biosimilars in Europe.

In his latest Forbes.com commentary, Precision Health Economics co-founder Tomas Philipson (along with Precision co-author Jason Shafrin) addresses the development of new value frameworks, and how both physicians and patients are at risk.

Precision Medicine Group is proud to announce that precisioneffect has been named one of the top 100 agencies of 2016 by Medical Marketing & Media.

Precision Health Economics’ Darius Lakdawalla speaks with the AP’s Matthew Perrone and offers some guidelines for drug pricing.

Rick Lifsitz and Larry Blandford address market access for novel Alzheimer’s treatments in a new commentary for Journal of Clinical Pathways

Precision for Value’s Dan Renick offers his perspective on GSK’s Breo in The Pink Sheet.

Dan Renick comments on the importance of value demonstration for respiratory disease treatments in The Pink Sheet.

Pharma Industry Firm Moves for More Space

Precision for Value, a company that helps bring pharmaceutical products to market, has found a larger home at One Grand Central Place.

Flemington, N.J., May 19, 2016 – ACT Oncology announced today it has been awarded the Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT) 2016 Enterprise Award for Emerging Healthcare companies. The Enterprise Awards, held annually, are the region’s most prestigious business honors for innovative life sciences and technology companies, leaders, and entrepreneurs.

Peter Neumann, Leader in Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Joins Precision Health Economics as Advisor

Los Angeles, May 17, 2016 — Precision Health Economics (PHE), a global leader in health economic research, policy, and analytics, announced today that Peter Neumann, ScD has joined PHE in the role of principal scientific advisor.

Precision’s Chandra and Shafrin Address Value Frameworks in JAMA

Fierce Biotech’s Ben Adams focuses on Precision’s acquisition of Applied Immunology.

Establishes Bay Area Immune-Response Laboratory Capability

Bethesda, Md. and Redwood City, Calif., May 3, 2016 – Precision for Medicine, part of the Precision Medicine Group, announced today that it has acquired Applied Immunology, an established expert in the creation and delivery of custom cell-based and immunoassay solutions. Applied Immunology supports innovative and targeted therapeutics developers across all areas, ranging from immuno-oncology to rare diseases to biosimilars from research to post-approval. Applied Immunology’s client base includes some of the most pioneering new venture-backed startups, along with many major global pharmaceutical firms.

Chad Clark is quoted in the pharmaletter regarding the recent acquisition of Applied Immunology.

We are pleased to present the second installment in our recurring column, Pharma Insights. This month we take a look at an interesting twist in how the use of complementary and companion diagnostics is playing out in real-world clinical practice. In a health care system that increasingly seeks to more precisely target therapeutic approaches to diseases, diagnostic testing is the key to unlocking greater value in pharmacotherapy. Two classes of diagnostic tests—companion and complementary diagnostics—have emerged to address this need.

The FDA recently approved the biosimilar infliximab and found that from an immunogenicity profile it was more or less similar, which is important for payers and providers, explained Jeremy Schafer, PharmD, MBA, vice president and director of specialty solutions at Precision For Value.

Rick Lifsitz and Larry Blandford discuss if higher prices really translate into greater perceived therapeutic effectiveness in a new commentary for Journal of Clinical Pathways

Carolyn Morgan discusses the rebrand of LehmanMillet to precisioneffect in Medical Marketing & Media.

37-Year-Young Advertising Agency Gets a New Name, New Locations and
Expanded Service Offering

Boston, March 29, 2016 – LehmanMillet, the only healthcare communications agency dedicated to working with companies seeking to change the standard of care, has changed its name to precisioneffect (www.precisioneffect.com). The impetus for the name change was the firm’s acquisition by Precision Medicine Group (PMG) in May of 2015. PMG is a specialized services company supporting next-generation approaches to drug development and commercialization.

Dan Renick comments on the burden of out-of-pocket patient costs for specialty medications in PM360.

Precision for Medicine’s Chad Clark comments on the acquisition of ACT Oncology in Medical Marketing & Media.

Chad Clark and Pat Devitt speak with Ben Adams from FierceBiotech on the acquisition of ACT Oncology.

Establishes leading platform for Precision Medicine Oncology Research

Bethesda, Md. and Flemington, N.J., March 22, 2016 – Precision for Medicine, part of the Precision Medicine Group, announced today that it has executed a binding agreement to acquire ACT Oncology, the leading contract research organization (CRO) specializing exclusively in the field of oncology. ACT Oncology provides drug development services focused on the design and execution of clinical trials on behalf of innovative life sciences companies and not-for-profit patient organizations.

By Ilyssa Levins

R&D Spending by Drug Companies

You may have read my February 2016 PCM article that proposed a six-step plan to deflect criticism about pharmaceutical drug costs. I provided hard data to support the value of our industry and will now continue to expand upon our value by addressing the significant role of America’s biopharmaceutical companies in bringing new medicines to patients.

Jeremy Schafer examines payer reaction to FDA warnings in Pharmaceutical Commerce.

BioIT World’s Paul Nicholas examines Precision for Medicine’s new PATH immuno-analytics platform.

Precision’s Lakdawalla on the BBC: ‘You can’t just ban Twinkies’

Precision’s Darius Lakdawalla was recently interviewed for the BBC’s Business Daily program, discussing the trend to ban large size sodas and other recent anti-junk food measures.

Jeremy Schafer offers his pricing model suggestions to Medical Marketing & Media.

AMCP News&Views caught up recently with Dan Renick, BS Pharmacy, RPh, President of Precision for Value, to get his thoughts on becoming a corporate member and innovations at his company.

TPG’s $75 million investment in Precision Medical Group is featured in Medical Marketing & Media.

PharmaLive covers TPG’s significant investment in Precision Medicine Group

TPG partner Kevin Hobart discusses the equity firm’s investment in Precision Medicine Group with Damian Garde for Fierce Biotech,

Leader in Healthcare Investing Acquires Stake in Growing Pharmaceutical Services Company

Fort Worth, Texas, San Francisco and Bethesda, MD — December 22, 2015 — TPG Growth, the middle market and growth equity investment platform of TPG, a leading global private investment firm with approximately $70 billion of assets under management, today announced a $75 million investment in Precision for Medicine, Inc. Additional details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Precision for Medicine’s Karen M. Becker, PhD, Managing Director, Translational and Regulatory Science, is quoted in an article regarding the upcoming Food and Drug Administration’s guidance on how it plans to oversee lab-developed tests used to diagnose conditions. Read the full article below:

By Andrew Siddons

Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer is quoted in an article that discusses the naming of biosimilars. He concludes that the payer community will find a way to track biosimilar sourcing, usage and reimbursement regardless of naming conventions or HCPCS codes.

Karen M. Becker, PhD, Managing Director, Translational and Regulatory Sciences at Precision for Medicine, provides expertise for the diagnostics industry in navigating the complexities of the Food and Drug Administration.

Precision for Value, a unit of New York-based Precision for Medicine, is adding Redwood Outcomes, based in Vancouver, BC to its stable.

Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer, Michael Tapella, and Thanos Kantarelis conclude that discounts in the biosimilar market may be significantly deeper than originally expected.

Dan Renick is quoted in NJBIZ on Precision’s Redwood Outcomes HEOR acquisition.

Precision’s acquisition of Redwood Outcomes is noted in Medical Marketing & Media.

Extends Leadership and Global Reach in Health Economics and Outcomes Research

Gladstone, N.J. and Vancouver, B.C., November 4, 2015 – Precision for Value (Precision) today announced that it has acquired Redwood Outcomes, a leading international health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) company. Redwood Outcomes serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and applies the science of evidence generation, synthesis, and modeling to optimize healthcare decision making.

Precision for Value’s Jeremy Schafer discusses the concept of indication-based drug contracting and how it could represent a new frontier of manufacturer-payer agreements.

Precision’s Chief Scientific Officer Amitabh Chandra and PHE founding partner Dana Goldman address health care’s Short-Termism problem in their latest article for the Harvard Business Review.

Precision for Medicine’s Larry Blandford quoted in an article from Pharmaceutical Commerce magazine on a new biosimilar product from Novartis’ Sandoz unit called Zarxio.

Tomas Philipson’s latest Forbes.com Op-Ed examines how international linkages between health care economies will affect how long you and your kids will live.

The Network for Excellence in Health Innovation (NEHI) held a special forum on August 19th, focusing on better use of medicines in diabetes, featuring the recent study and ADA presentation by Precision’s Joanna MacEwan. She discussed her recent work and fielded questions from the NEHI membership– exploring the implications of new research on the use of diabetes medications and what it means for health care delivery reform, insurance benefit design, changes in health care payment and other critical policy issues.

Tomas Philipson’s latest Forbes.com Op-Ed examines end of life care, and why health care is so valuable in the face of death.

Precision’s Deb Phippard, PhD, and Jared Kohler, PhD, address the potential of Big Data, analytics, and technology to increase efficiency and decrease costs in the drug development process in a guest column for Bioprocess Online. Read the full article here:

Precision’s Tomas Philipson’s latest Forbes.com Op-Ed examines California’s recently enacted vaccination mandate, and the application of economic epidemiology.

NEW YORK, July 8, 2015 – Precision for Value (www.precisionforvalue.com), a Precision for Medicine Company which provides health economics, analytics, and marketing communications services to life sciences clients, today announced the further expansion of its Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) team to meet growing customer demand. Christopher Blanchette, PhD, was appointed Vice President, Health Economics.

Precision’s Dana Goldman has been elected to ISPOR’s Board of Directors, effective July 1st, 2015. The Board of Directors are elected by ISPOR members – over 9,500 global members were given the opportunity to vote for nominated candidates.

The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) is the world’s largest professional organization focused on pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research.  Its total membership exceeds 16,500 from 120 countries worldwide.

Analysis from Medicare claims data from Precision’s Research Economist Joanna MacEwan, PhD at the American Diabetes Association 2015 Scientific Sessions.

By Miriam E. Tucker

BOSTON — Among US Medicare beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes, out-of-pocket expenses diminish adherence to medication and may end up increasing overall healthcare costs in the long run, a new study finds.

Precision Advisors is cited in a Pharmaceutical Commerce article focusing on access to EHR data.

Recently, Dan Renick, Co-President and Chief Commercial Officer, Precision for Medicine spoke with CEOCFO Magazine on the Future of Precision Medicine. Below is an excerpt from the article:

Precision for Medicine’s acquisition of Precision Health Economics is covered in PharmaVoice.

Precision for Medicine’s Larry Blandford quoted in today’s Wall Street Journal article: “New Push Ties Cost of Drugs to How Well They Work.” The effort is part of a growing push for so-called pay-for-performance deals amid complaints about the rising price of medications, some of which cost more than $100,000 per patient a year.

Precision’s Dana Goldman and Senior Research Economist Karen Van Nuys, along with co-authors Victor J Dzau, Geoffrey S Ginsburg and David Agus, address new developments in personalized medicine.

Precision’s Tomas Philipson in his regular column in Forbes.com, talks about the precision medicine initiative as a more useful approach towards appropriate adherence behavior.

In the May cover story: “Exploring Precision Medicine’s Value” Dan Renick discusses the value of specialized treatments. He contends that precision medicine in the face of limited resources necessitates evidence generation that supports the value of therapeutic breakthroughs. The in-depth article explores the value of precision medicine from a research, governmental and managed care perspective

In Health Affairs, PHE’s Goldman and Lakdawalla suggest it’s time for value-based payment in oncology.

Los Angeles, CA, April 27, 2015—Precision Health Economics (PHE), a Precision for Medicine company, announced today the hiring of James Baumgardner, PhD, as Senior Research Economist. Joining PHE from his post as Deputy Assistant Director in the Health, Retirement, and Long-Term Analysis Division of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Mr. Baumgardner brings unique experiences and perspectives to the complex and challenging problems PHE addresses in its work on health economics and policy. PHE is focused on the critical issues in health and healthcare delivery: objective determination of value and measureable improvement in patient outcomes.

Extends Leadership in Health Economics and Outcomes Research With a Focus on Evidence Generation in an Era of Precision Medicine

Bethesda, MD, and Los Angeles, April 16, 2015 – Precision for Medicine (Precision), a specialized services company supporting next-generation approaches to drug development and commercialization, today announced the acquisition of Precision Health Economics (PHE). A world-renowned and cutting-edge health economics consultancy and analytics firm, PHE leverages the expertise of policy analysts, economists, clinicians, and academics to advance research on the most complex healthcare questions. Life sciences companies and policymakers worldwide turn to PHE to shape strategy, inform key healthcare decisions, and produce effective changes in policy through innovative research.

BETHESDA, MD – March 26, 2015 – Precision for Medicine (www.precisionformedicine.com) today announced the PATH™ analytics platform, a unique tool that can identify, analyze, and provide novel scientific insights about important biomarkers, transforming traditional therapies into personalized therapeutics. PATH™ accelerates the research process, enabling a more streamlined framework for stratifying patient populations.

Precision for Medicine has launched the PATH analytics platform, a new product for the translational research market that’s designed to help users combine and use clinical and genomic information to stratify patients as part of efforts to develop more tailored therapies.

(BETHESDA, MD) Nov. 4, 2014 – Precision for Medicine announced today that its subsidiary, Precision Bioservices, Inc., has been awarded a 7-year contract of up to $28 million to provide management and oversight of disease-study specimens for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). NIAID is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

(BETHESDA, MD) March 25, 2014 – Precision for Medicine, Inc., formed in 2012 to support next generation approaches to drug development and commercialization, announces the acquisition of Hobart Group Holdings, LLC (Hobart), a leading market access firm. With this addition, Precision for Medicine (Precision) has established the foundation for its next phase of growth in providing integrated solutions focused on demonstrating value in the era of precision medicine.

Industry Expert in Regulatory Sciences and Commercial Strategy Joins New Service Organization Focused on Helping Life Science Companies Develop and Commercialize Next-Generation Medical Products

(Bethesda, MD) April 8, 2013 – Precision for Medicine, Inc., (“Precision”) today announced that Karen Becker, PhD, has joined the company’s leadership team and will help life science companies capitalize on next-generation approaches to product development and commercialization.

(Bethesda, MD) April 2, 2013 – Precision for Medicine, Inc., formed in 2012 to support next-generation approaches to drug development and commercialization, today announced that it has secured $150 million in private equity financing to support acquisitions and development. Precision for Medicine is building a comprehensive platform of specialized development and commercialization services to support life science companies that are seeking to capitalize on the benefits of patient-centered, precision medicine. Oak Investment Partners, J.H. Whitney and Company, and LCI Capital led the financing.

Ethan D. Leder and Mark P. Clein, co-founders of the Maryland-based company, said the funding will be used to acquire the expertise and infrastructure necessary to guide innovative medical products from discovery to patients.

Industry Experts Will Support the Development and Commercialization of Medical Diagnostic and Device Products, Including Companion Diagnostics for Next-Generation Medicines

(Bethesda, MD) May 17, 2013 – Precision for Medicine, Inc., (“Precision”), the specialized scientific services company formed in 2012 to support next-generation medical products, today announced the appointment of 4 key executives, significantly increasing the breadth of its regulatory and commercialization services. The addition of these executives and their teams enhances Precision’s ability to support life science innovators as they address value, effectiveness, and patient access issues for next generation medicines.