In a move that significantly expands our global capabilities and expertise to demonstrate the value of medicines, IMS this week announced the acquisition of ValueMedics Research, a leading U.S.-based healthcare research and consulting firm.
“We are very excited about ValueMedics joining the IMS team,” says Tina Lambert, vice president, Launch and Brand Management. “Governments, payers, providers and patients all are looking for more information about the value of medicines – and they’re looking for insights across a number of dimensions, including cost effectiveness, efficacy, safety and affordability. With this acquisition, we continue to gain traction as a global thought leader in health economics and outcomes research.”
ValueMedics builds on IMS’s HEOR resources available in the U.S. through our recent CORE and PharMetrics acquisitions. It gives us an immediate stronger presence in that market, with consulting and strategic services that help clients demonstrate, monitor and communicate product value. A natural fit with IMS, ValueMedics has a strong history of incorporating our anonymized patient-level data and prescription-level insights into their offerings.
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"As patients demand more access to new medicines, IMS has become a valued partner in helping demonstrate the clinical and economic benefits of these drugs." |
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- Tina Lambert |
This acquisition represents the cornerstone of IMS’s growth plans for HEOR in the Americas. And, it prepares us well as regulatory and market forces shift the healthcare landscape – especially as Medicare begins to formally require these types of evaluations for new drugs in the U.S.
In November, we launched our expanded global capabilities and expertise in HEOR to help us better capitalize on a rapidly growing market opportunity.
“The availability of more effective, innovative drugs in the marketplace is fueling a demand for therapies that is increasingly incompatible with today’s available healthcare budgets and resources,” explains Tina. “The debate about what represents value to justify incremental expense is intensifying among all healthcare stakeholders. As patients demand more access to new medicines, IMS has become a valued partner in helping demonstrate the clinical and economic benefits of these drugs.”
ValueMedics’ Value Proposition
Observes Rob DiChiara, VP, IMS Consulting, Americas, “ValueMedics’ core services address client need to demonstrate value, not only by product-specific clinical and economic considerations, but also by market demands, real-world insights and the need to communicate value in the right way to the right decision makers. This team’s groundbreaking work in the areas of patient compliance and the economic valuation of medical technologies is widely recognized – expertise that goes a long way toward taking our HEOR capabilities to the next level.”
ValueMedics’ principals have published reports and are considered thought leaders in areas ranging from technology assessment and cost-effectiveness analysis, to medication adherence and compliance.
With this acquisition, IMS is establishing an Americas HEOR practice led by ValueMedics’ co-founder and principal Jonothan Tierce, who has been named practice leader, HEOR, Americas. The practice also will include U.S.-based specialists from CORE and PharMetrics. Our 23 ValueMedics colleagues will continue to be located in Falls Church, Virginia.
Says Jonothan, “We’re extremely pleased to join a team that shares our commitment to clients. IMS’s unique combination of information, analytics and consulting, along with the global reach of its evidence-based decision-making support, is very powerful. Together, we’ll provide the extensive, multi-level HEOR expertise our clients need to drive decisions.”