Asembia AXS26: How CGTs are Reshaping Specialty Pharmacy

Cell and gene therapies (CGTs) are reshaping the specialty pharmacy and distribution ecosystem, introducing a level of clinical, operational, and financial complexity that extends beyond traditional models of drug commercialization. In the first part of her interview with Pharmaceutical Commerce at Asembia AXS26, Jennifer Lospinoso, managing director and consulting lead at Riparian, explains that unlike conventional “buy-and-bill” approaches, CGTs require highly coordinated, patient-specific workflows. These include specialized treatment center activities such as apheresis and conditioning, as well as complex logistics like cold chain storage and handling.

Lospinoso also highlights that a key challenge in the CGT ecosystem is the high upfront cost associated with delivering these therapies to patients, which creates significant pressure across the system. In response, specialty pharmacy has taken on a pivotal role in emerging non-traditional buy-and-bill–type models, including arrangements where they may assume financial risk for the therapy to help support patient access.