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Adding a Medicare Part E benefit to pay for cell and gene therapies

Despite their curative potential, the extraordinarily high price tags of cell and gene therapies have raised concerns about the U.S. and European healthcare systems' financial sustainability. This is especially true for recently approved treatments indicated for relatively sizable sub-populations, including multiple myeloma, beta thalassemia, sickle cell disease and different types of hemophilia.

To address these challenges, researchers have suggested creating a universal benefit in the U.S., named “Part E,” specifically designed for coverage of cell and gene therapies. Part E would technically fall under Medicare, but it would not have age- or disease-specific eligibility restrictions. In other words, it would be open to all who for whom the therapies are indicated and who may not be eligible for the Medicaid-specific model the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are implementing (for information on this model, see previous microblog).

Upon the Food and Drug Administration approval of an eligible cell or gene therapy, Part E coverage and pricing would be determined centrally by CMS, whose mandate it would be to consider whether such products are deemed “reasonable and necessary” to treat the affected population, as CMS already does when it conducts National Coverage Determinations. Part E would be financed by an earmarked tax.

Any decision to cover a product would include outcomes-based agreements, in which the net price would depend on a product's performance over time. Alternatively, CMS could negotiate subscription-like payment models as some Medicaid programs have done in the hepatitis C space. Here, CMS would be responsible for a fixed payment regardless of the number of patients treated or the volume of a drug or therapy dispensed. In other words, unlike traditional payment arrangements, payment would not scale with volume.

In negotiating pricing and reimbursement for cell and gene therapies, CMS would establish a national risk pool across the Medicare, commercial and (part of the) Medicaid markets. In turn, this would decrease the level of financial risk borne in the system.

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The Lyfegen Library offers you access to one central resource with more than 4,500 public price-based agreements and 20 innovative pricing models (including subscription-like payment arrangements) which can form the basis for outcomes-based agreements to be signed under an eventual Medicare Part E. This invaluable resource has all the market research in one place to gather intelligence on novel ways to establish innovative payment systems that are uniquely designed to suit business needs of key stakeholders such as drug manufacturers and health insurers.

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‍Book a demo today.

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Lyfegen Secures additional CHF 5 Million in Series A Funding to Scale Its Drug Rebate Management Platform Globally

Basel, Switzerland / Boston, USA – December 11, 2024

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Lyfegen, a global leader in drug rebate management technology, today announced the successful close of its additional CHF 5 million Series A funding round. The round was led by TX Ventures, a leading European fintech investor, with additional participation from aMoon, a global health-tech venture capital firm, and other institutional investors. This funding represents a significant milestone for Lyfegen, enabling the company to accelerate its global expansion and innovation efforts, with a focus on extending its reach beyond Europe into new markets worldwide.

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Addressing Rising Drug Costs with Intelligent Drug Pricing and Rebate Solutions

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The healthcare industry faces increasing challenges with rising drug costs and the complexity of managing growing volumes of rebate agreements. For payers and pharmaceutical companies, manual processes often lead to inefficiencies, compliance risks, and operational delays. Lyfegen is transforming this process with its fully automated platform that ensures secure, real-time tracking, compliance, and operational efficiency at scale.

Today, 50+ leading healthcare organizations across 8 geographical markets rely on Lyfegen’s solutions to streamline 4'000+ rebate agreements while tracking over $1 billion in pharmaceutical revenue and managing over $0.5 billion in rebates annually. These solutions enable healthcare organizations to improve pricing strategies, accelerate access to modern treatments, and better manage rebate complexities.

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Scaling Globally with a Leading Rebate Management Platform

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Already used by healthcare payers and pharmaceutical companies in Europe, North America, and the Middle East, Lyfegen’s platform is poised for broader global deployment. By automating rebate management, the platform enables healthcare organizations to simplify complex agreements, save time, reduce errors, and enhance financial performance.

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“The market for innovative and personalized treatments is expanding rapidly, but with that comes increasingly complex and costly pricing models,” says Girisha Fernando, CEO of Lyfegen. “Lyfegen’s automated solution simplifies this complexity, helping payers and pharmaceutical companies unlock the full potential of rebates while improving patient access to modern treatments. With this funding and our new partners, we’re ideally positioned to accelerate our growth and make a meaningful impact globally.”

Jens Schleuniger, Partner at TX Ventures, adds: “Lyfegen is at the forefront of innovation, offering payers and pharmaceutical companies a powerful solution to address the rising complexities of pharma rebates. We’re proud to lead this funding round and support Lyfegen’s mission to bring greater efficiency and cost savings to healthcare systems worldwide.”

About Lyfegen

Lyfegen is an independent provider of rebate management software designed for the healthcare industry. Lyfegen solutions are used by health insurances, governments, hospital payers, and pharmaceutical companies around the globe to dramatically reduce the administrative burden of managing complex drug pricing agreements and to optimize rebates and get better value from those agreements. Lyfegen maintains the world’s largest digital repository of innovative drug pricing models and public agreements and offers access to a robust drug pricing simulator designed to dynamically simulate complex drug pricing scenarios to understand the full financial impact. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, the company was founded in 2018 and has a market presence in Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Learn more at Lyfegen.com.

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About TX Ventures

TX Ventures is one of Europe’s emerging leaders in early-stage fintech investing. The venture capital fund invests predominantly in B2B Fintech across Europe - preferably in seed to series A stage.

For more information about Lyfegen’s solutions or to schedule an interview, please contact:
marketing@lyfegen.com

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Rare Disease Therapies and the Case for Outcomes-Based Agreements

Treatments for rare diseases, such as spinal muscular atrophy or CAR-T therapies like tisagenlecleucel, hold transformative potential for patients. Yet, they often come with significant challenges—uncertainties around long-term efficacy, high costs, and the need for tailored patient selection. Outcomes-Based Agreements (OBAs) offer a structured way to address these challenges, aligning financial risk with therapeutic outcomes. However, their implementation requires careful consideration and planning.

The Promise and Practicalities of OBAs

1. What Makes OBAs Valuable?

OBAs shift the focus from upfront costs to real-world outcomes, creating a more sustainable framework for funding innovative therapies. They enable:

• Risk Sharing: Payers and manufacturers align costs with actual therapeutic results.

• Patient-Centric Focus: Treatments are tied to measurable improvements, emphasizing value rather than volume.

• Increased Access: By mitigating cost risks, OBAs can support the introduction of high-cost therapies in resource-constrained settings.

2. Implementation Challenges

Despite their promise, OBAs are not without hurdles:

• Administrative Complexity: Managing OBA agreements involves data sharing, contract monitoring, and performance assessments—all requiring robust systems.

• Data Availability and Quality: Real-world evidence is critical, but gaps in data collection, reporting, and standardization can limit success.

• Stakeholder Collaboration: Successful OBAs require alignment between payers, manufacturers, and healthcare providers. Misaligned priorities or unclear accountability can derail agreements.

How Lyfegen Supports OBA Implementation

Learning from Global Examples

Lyfegen’s Agreements Library—featuring 6,700 public agreements and 20 pricing models from 33 countries—offers invaluable insights into how OBAs have been implemented worldwide. By analyzing these examples, stakeholders can identify models that best suit their unique challenges, reducing the trial-and-error phase of implementation.

Streamlined Scenario Analysis

The Lyfegen Drug Contracting Simulator enables stakeholders to simulate OBA scenarios using real-world data. From adherence-based contracts to outcome guarantees, the Simulator helps users:

• Assess feasibility through scenario modeling.

• Forecast financial implications with real-world inputs.

• Compare multiple pricing models to find the most suitable solution.

Simplifying Administration

Managing the administrative burden of OBAs is crucial. Lyfegen’s tools offer:

• Centralized contract management for version control and compliance tracking.

• Automated data processing to ensure performance metrics are accurately reported.

• Detailed dashboards and trend reports to facilitate collaborative decision-making.

Key Considerations for OBA Success

1. Feasibility Studies Are Essential

Not every therapy or market is suited for OBAs. Conducting thorough feasibility assessments helps determine the viability of such agreements.

2. Data Plans Need Clarity

Reliable outcomes-based contracts depend on well-defined metrics and data collection processes. Establishing these frameworks early is crucial.

3. Commitment from All Stakeholders

OBAs thrive on collaboration. Shared goals, transparent communication, and clear accountability among all parties can ensure smoother execution.

Conclusion

Outcomes-Based Agreements represent an important step forward in addressing the challenges of high-cost, high-impact therapies for rare diseases. With the right tools, insights, and preparation, healthcare stakeholders can unlock the potential of OBAs to improve access, manage costs, and focus on patient outcomes.

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Discover how Lyfegen can simplify your journey to outcomes-based contracting. Schedule a demo today to explore our solutions in action.

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