A new patient access analysis from ICER, developed with West Health, highlights a split between launch pricing and prescription fill timelines. The report found the median price for drugs launched in 2025 reached $250,000, while a separate analysis using IQVIA real-world data found only about one-third of outpatient prescriptions were filled within 30 days. The coverage-gap pattern was described as particularly severe for Medicare patients, who faced the steepest affordability barriers and paid two to five times more out-of-pocket than those with commercial insurance. The report frames the problem as both list price and operational access delays impacting whether patients can actually start therapy. The discussion also examined direct-to-patient (DTP) infrastructure and the practical role—and payer scrutiny—of co-pay assistance programs. A panel included Magda Rusinowski of the Business Group on Health, who cautioned that benefits are not universal among commercial populations. For biopharma stakeholders, the combined findings point to a contracting-and-operations reality: even when drugs launch, affordability and fill completion may determine therapeutic impact more than pricing announcements alone.