A “weighted” lottery program designed to ensure that people living in the most disadvantaged U.S. neighborhoods would be offered a scarce, potentially life-saving medication proved feasible in a large health system. The approach can improve equity in receipt of the drug by people disproportionately affected by disease, according to an analysis published today in JAMA Health Forum by University of Pittsburgh and UPMC scientist-clinicians.
Biologic drugs play an important role in treating cancers such as breast cancer and lymphoma, but their high costs can add to the financial burden of cancer care. Now, lower-cost versions known as biosimilars are gaining ground, and a study led by researchers at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center suggests their growing use is associated with lower costs for both insurers and patients.
