Insurance Megamergers: How Will They Impact Manufacturers’ Commercialization Strategy?

Cathy Carroll, PhD, MA, MBA, BSPharm, Senior Director of Managed Markets/Market Access, Commercial Consulting, Xcenda

Cathy Carroll, PhD, MA, MBA, BSPharm, is a Senior Director of Managed Markets/Market Access for Commercial Consulting for Xcenda. Dr. Carroll’s team provides strategic insights into the development of evidence-based value propositions in support of pricing, reimbursement, and access strategies by Pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies within and external to the United States.

Prior to joining Xcenda, Dr. Carroll was a member of the Global Health Economic and Outcomes Research (HEOR) and Evidence Based Medicine group for a leading Pharmaceutical manufacturer. Prior to her work guiding data generation and design of global market access strategies, she directed data generation and value proposition development for the markets within the United States.

Dr. Carroll’s career has primarily focused on Pharmacy and Therapeutic (P&T) deliberations, formulary decision making, and mentorship of young professionals. She has directed P&T activities within commercial health plans, a managed Medicaid health plan, as a consultant to the pharmacy benefit management (PBM) industry, and within the acute inpatient setting. Beyond her role in formulary placement, Dr. Carroll has extensive research experience. She was the Director of Patient Care Services within a large Midwestern integrated delivery system. She has also mentored young professionals and aspiring researchers during (and after) her tenure at the University of Missouri-Kansas City where she held a triple appointment in the School of Pharmacy, Department of Economics, and the Bloch School of Management. Her research endeavors have resulted in numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in the areas of quality improvement, cost-effectiveness analysis, as well as humanistic and economic outcomes.

Dr. Carroll is a member of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) and the International Society of Pharmacoeconomic and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Her contributions to AMCP included participation with numerous committees in addition to service when elected by the membership to serve the Academy as Treasurer, President, and member of both the Board of Directors for AMCP and the Board of Trustees for the AMCP Foundation.

Dr. Carroll received her Doctorate of Philosophy and a Master’s degree in Administration from the Department of Economics at the University of Kansas. She received her Master in Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Henry W. Bloch School of Management and the School of Pharmacy, respectively.

Nina Ohara, PharmD, MBA, MS, RPh, Director, Commercial Client Strategy Team, Xcenda

Nina Ohara, PharmD, MBA, MS, RPh is a Director with the Commercial Client Strategy Team at Xcenda where she helps clients achieve their commercialization goals and objectives. Dr. Ohara works with a multitude of manufacturers to capitalize on Brand and Market Access opportunities.

Dr. Ohara brings to Xcenda over 15 years of experience from managed care, Pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. She has shaped market access strategies for multiple Brands throughout all phases of the product lifecycle. Most recently, Dr. Ohara was on a Brand Marketing team where she drove commercial success of a mature Brand by executing innovative patient and provider programs. Prior to that experience, Dr. Ohara led several product launches to maximize reimbursement and access in the specialty market. She had gained payer access goals ahead of Wall Street expectations for a product launch by communicating a strong payer value proposition story and seamlessly executing account management team training, tactics and metrics. In addition, she has enhanced provider reimbursement programs and collaborated closely with field provider reimbursement teams on strategy, messaging and tactics. She has also been instrumental in pre-launch efforts to help construct clinical and health outcomes programs to lay the foundation for commercial success. Prior to her Pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry experience, Dr. Ohara worked in managed care in hospital contracting, and health management programs.

Dr. Ohara earned her Doctorate of Pharmacy from University of Southern California (USC) Pharmacy School and her Masters of Business Administration from USC Marshall School of Business. She also received her Masters of Science and Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).