Austin Russian: How Rare Disease Therapy Launches will Adapt

In part two of Pharmaceutical Commerce’s conversation with Austin Russian, SVP of Program Excellence at PANTHERx Rare, conducted live at Asembia AXS26, he discusses the advantages and challenges of manufacturers taking a more active role in the patient journey, as well as how rare disease and cell and gene therapy launches are evolving.

From a specialty pharmacy perspective, Russian says there are clear positives when manufacturer involvement is structured correctly, but emphasizes that patients are not asking for more touchpoints, they want better coordination. He notes that without real-time information sharing between manufacturers and pharmacies, patient outreach can feel fragmented and disjointed, leading to confusion. Looking ahead to cell and gene therapies, he expresses optimism about their growth and says rare disease launch expertise translates well to these products, with similar foundations around early engagement, coordination, and access management. However, he adds that access hurdles are more amplified in cell and gene therapies, requiring additional resources and a continued focus on keeping the patient experience central.

Access the first part of his interview with PC:

1. Austin Russian: How Fragmentation Delays Rare Disease Therapy Access