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An editorial focuses on evaluating the validity of using late-stage cancer diagnosis as an alternative endpoint to cancer-specific mortality in clinical trials for cancer screening. It examines the findings of a study, which analyzed the correlation between these endpoints across various cancer types and concluded that late-stage cancer diagnosis is not a reliable substitute for cancer-specific mortality.

This study describes health services offered by USNWR "best hospitals" in executive physical packages, daylong comprehensive evaluations offering testing and screening of wealthy individuals and corporate leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Viewpoint, Peter Bach and colleague Stacie Dusetzina question the assumption underlying a 2019 proposed federal rule change to eliminate drug manufacturer rebates to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) as a way to decrease prescription drug prices, and they propose more extensive restructuring, including a cap on out-of-pocket spending for Medicare Part D beneficiaries, to better control drug costs and save patients money. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Viewpoint, the authors review Medicare & Medicaid Services 340B Payment program and recent rules to curtail expansion of drug discounts beyond serving poor patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Viewpoint discusses a "Netflix" subscription model of drug payment being investigated by Louisiana for hepatitis C (HCV) drugs, in which a statewide coalition of payers would pay subscription fees over a fixed number of years for HCV drugs to treat all state residents and for efforts by the manufacturers to enhance treatment rates through patient outreach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Viewpoint, Peter Bach and colleagues distinguish 5 pricing reform proposals implied by the concept of value-based drug pricing and discuss the potential of each to ensure value in response to unsustainable drug price increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author reflects upon the FDA's approval of Tisagenlecleucel, a drug used to treat cancer. Topics discussed include how the drug has been approved to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia, how a one-time infusion of the drug costs $475,000 and details relating to the drug's black box warning as its use can cause hypotension, multiorgan failure and even death. Details relating to revenue outlooks for pharmaceutical companies including Novartis and Gilead are also offered.

The authors discuss the steps that should be considered by insurers, payers and policy makers to support and achieve a value-based pricing system for drugs. Topics include Medicare, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) and policies preventing the ability of the Medicare to apply a value-based pricing system.

The author discussed the pricing for cancer drugs. Topics discussed include the spending on specialty drugs in 2013, Medicare price for eight cancer drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2013, the author's claim that the price of the drug is not linked to its benefits and the formulary determinations used by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) of Great Britain to consider the effectiveness and cost of drugs.