ICER’s second annual Launch Price and Access report, created with West Health, found that drugs launched in 2025 carried a median launch price of $250,000, while only about one-third of outpatient prescriptions were filled within 30 days of being written. The disparity was steeper for Medicare patients, who faced higher barriers and two-to-five times greater out-of-pocket costs than commercially insured patients. The analysis blended ICER’s launch-price findings with IQVIA longitudinal real-world prescription data covering more than 200 novel drugs, showing that list price is only part of the access story. ICER used the findings to frame a webinar on how access timing and affordability gaps persist after launches. A parallel discussion referenced direct-to-patient intentions and highlighted co-pay assistance scrutiny by payers, with one employer benefits leader warning that financial support programs are not universal for commercial populations.