That is the topic of an Evidence Base article out today titled “Reflecting on 2025, looking to 2026: Experts outline what to expect for drug pricing and market access“. In the article, a variety of experts reflect on how 2025 reshaped the global drug pricing and market access landscape as well as predict what to watch in 2026. Key topics include pricing effects of US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) implementation and renewed Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) momentum, increasing importance of direct-to-consumer channels, and the growing role of evidence-backed value narratives as EU-level HTA advances.
I am quoted in the article as follows:
Jason Shafrin (FTI Consulting), author of our “Perspectives from the Healthcare Economist” column, expects these dynamics to intensify. In comments to The Evidence Base, he predicts “G7 Ghosting,” where manufacturers delay launches in high-income countries that sit in MFN reference baskets to reduce exposure to MFN-linked rebates in the US. Whether or not this plays out at scale, the prediction highlights a core tension heading into 2026: launch sequencing is increasingly being used as a pricing risk-management tool, not just a commercial timing decision.
Other topics of interest include:
What changed in 2025: Global geopolitics reshaped local accessIRA moves from policy to practice but concerns of its unintended consequences persistMFN: A turning point in global drug pricing strategiesDirect-to-consumer access: From niche channel to policy infrastructureMultiple pricing models, overlapping aims, open questionsEurope in 2025: Joint Clinical Assessment takes shape, but access decisions remain nationalEurope’s pharma package meets global pricing pressure and rising competitionThe UK in 2025: Recalibrating value and trade positioningWhat to watch 2026
You can read the full article here.
