Pharma Pulse 7/11/25: Removing Financial Barriers to Boost Trial Diversity; How Prescribing Power Has Shifted Beyond Physicians

Removing Financial Barriers to Boost Trial Diversity

In an interview with Applied Clinical Trials, Heather Horville, solutions consultant, Greenphire, emphasized the importance of removing financial and logistical barriers—such as through reimbursements, stipends, and prepaid travel—to improve clinical trial diversity and retention, stressing the need for early planning, site-level coordination, and patient-centered support.

How Prescribing Power Has Shifted Beyond Physicians

In a Pharmaceutical Executive article, Richard Zwickel, founder, CEO, POCN, highlighted how prescribing power is shifting from physicians to nurse practitioners and physician associates, urging life sciences marketers to adapt their strategies with behavioral insights, tailored messaging, and digital-first content to effectively engage these increasingly influential and hard-to-reach prescribers.

Reassessing the Safety and Efficacy of Very Low LDL Cholesterol

Recent evidence shows that achieving very low LDL cholesterol levels—below 40 mg/dL, and even under 20 mg/dL—can offer significant cardiovascular benefits without clear safety concerns, though ongoing studies are needed to monitor long-term risks like hemorrhagic stroke and new-onset diabetes, especially as newer agents like PCSK9 inhibitors and inclisiran make such reductions more achievable.

Q&A: The Challenges, Importance of Insulin Delivery for People with Diabetes

In a recent interview with Drug Topics, Diana Isaacs, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, BC-ADM, CDCES, emphasized that despite advancements in diabetes care, insulin delivery remains essential—particularly for people with type 1 and progressing type 2 diabetes—while highlighting major challenges such as its narrow therapeutic window, injection hesitancy, and the difficulty of replicating the body’s natural insulin response.

Pharmacy Groups Call on Insurers to Preserve Vaccine Coverage

A coalition of pharmacy organizations has urged major US insurers to maintain vaccine coverage without added patient cost-sharing, stressing that vaccines remain essential for disease prevention and should continue to be covered unless there is clear evidence of harm.