New analysis from ICER and partner West Health highlights continued access and affordability barriers following drug launches. The report found the median price for drugs launched in 2025 was $250,000, but also showed that only about one-third of outpatient prescriptions were filled within 30 days of being written. Using IQVIA longitudinal real-world data for more than 200 novel drugs, the report found Medicare patients face steeper out-of-pocket burden than commercially insured patients, with out-of-pocket costs reported as roughly two to five times higher. These delays and cost burdens point to real-world frictions beyond list price alone. ICER’s findings also fed into broader discussion of direct-to-patient and co-pay assistance tools, including scrutiny over whether financial assistance is universal for commercial populations. The takeaway for biopharma: launch strategy increasingly needs operational plans that address both cost and timely fulfillment.