Francesca Bruce

Francesca Bruce

Senior Writer

Newcastle, UK

Francesca writes about a broad range of policy and regulatory topics, including intellectual property rights. However, her main areas of expertise are pricing and reimbursement and how medicines may or may not make it to patients. She writes about developments in Europe and is also expanding coverage in emerging markets, including Latin America and the Middle East. Francesca writes for Pink Sheet, Scrip and In Vivo.

Latest from Francesca Bruce

Managed Access Agreement Fails To Help BioMarin’s Brineura Secure Routine Reimbursement In England

BioMarin’s ultra-rare disease drug Brineura has breached cost-effectiveness thresholds for highly specialized treatments in England and looks set to be denied routine funding on the National Health Service.

EU HTA Regulation: How Rare Disease Drug Makers Can Meet Worrisome JCAs Data Requirements

In an interview with the Pink Sheet, Fonadazione Telethon’s Stefano Benvenuti discusses how companies developing and marketing rare disease treatments can overcome the challenges presented by EU-joint clinical assessment evidence requirements.

Brazil’s Drug Pricing Shake Up Calls For More Robust Evidence From Companies

Brazil’s drug pricing authorities are planning to introduce, among other things, a new drug category for biosimilars to ensure the pricing procedures for such medicines are reflected in the official pricing framework.

Brazil To Upgrade Pricing Framework To Keep Up With Market Developments

Brazil plans to clarify its medicine pricing framework, for example by outlining the procedures for setting medicine prices and bring it up to date with recent developments in the sector.

EU HTA Regulation: ‘Stepping Beyond’ JCAs May Be Needed For Very Rare Disease Drugs

Cooperation between health technology assessment bodies across the EU will lead to a better joint clinical assessment process over time, but patients cannot afford a lengthy wait for improvements, speakers at a cell & gene therapy conference said.

What The EMA Can Teach HTA Bodies About Joint Clinical Assessments

EU-level joint clinical assessments conducted under the Health Technology Assessment Regulation need to be more flexible when it comes to evidence requirements, according to experts speaking at a gene and cell therapy conference.