Oncology drug costs are rising as providers transition to value-based reimbursement, leading to an increase in activity that can impact oncology medication market access. HIRC's report,  Academic Institution & Health System-based Cancer Centers: Market Trends and Manufacturer Competitive Assessment, reviews market trends, cancer centers' strategic imperatives driving decision-making, and perceptions of manufacturers and the reimbursement environment across ten cancer types. The report addresses the following: 

• What are cancer centers' most urgent strategic imperatives and operational objectives driving decision-making?
• What is the status of preferred drug lists and clinical pathways across ten cancer types?
• What is the perceived reimbursement environment for top IV brands across ten cancer types? Which brands demonstrate a competitive advantage?
• Which manufacturers are most often nominated as cancer centers' "Partner of Choice" in oncology? Which factors drive panelists' selections?
• How do manufacturers benchmark in the quality of their reimbursement support services and oncology-related account support and programs?

Key Finding: Oncology medication manufacturers are actively engaging the cancer center segment as they adjust to market trends and challenges, including rising oncology drug costs and evolving alternative payment models.

Rising Costs and Value-based Reimbursement Identified as Top Market Trends Impacting Cancer Centers. Cancer centers identify two macro-level health care market trends with the highest potential to impact their business and capture senior leadership's attention, with 56%  of the panel selecting the overall rising cost of oncology medications, and 20% selecting payers' shift towards value-based reimbursement. 

Oncology providers report feeling genuinely squeezed between the issue of patient affordability of cancer care and the future of value-based purchasing. The full report provides cancer centers' strategic imperatives and operational objectives driving decision-making in an increasingly complex market environment. 

Nearly Half of Cancer Centers Have Adopted At Least One Oncology Clinical Pathway. Forty-eight percent of cancer centers report having a pathway in-place for at least one cancer type, with another 32% of cancer centers planning to develop pathways in the future. Most of the cancer centers with pathways in-place or are in the process of developing one are focused on breast, colorectal, and lung cancers. 

The full report examines the status of clinical pathways and PDL adoption for the following:

• Breast Cancer
• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
• Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML)
• Colorectal Cancer
• Lung Cancer
• Melanoma
• Multiple Myeloma
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Renal Cell Carcinoma

Cancer Centers Select Genentech, Celgene, and Novartis Oncology as Partners of Choice. Genentech is nominated most often as cancer centers' top partner of choice for the third year in a row, followed by Celgene and Novartis Oncology. Demonstrating an understanding of cancer centers' business needs and the quality of oncology-related programs and resources were among the top factors driving panelists selections in 2016. 

The full report benchmarks over 20 oncology medication manufacturers on three independent parameters, such as the quality of the firm's reimbursement support services, and identifies opportunities for partnership.

Research Methodology and Report Availability. In July, HIRC surveyed 35 cancer center executives, 17 from academic institution-based cancer centers and 8 from health system/hospital-based cancer centers. Online surveys and follow-up interviews were used to gather information. The full report, Academic Institution & Health System-based Cancer Centers: Market Trends and Manufacturer Competitive Assessment, is now available to subscribers at www.hirc.com.