By Josh Marsh, vice president/general manager, Sonexus™ Access and Patient Support
The specialty drug market is experiencing unprecedented growth, and the total net spending on medicines in 2028 in the U.S. is expected to increase $127 billion compared to 2023, according to a recent report from the IVQIA Institute for Human Data Science. This report highlights how growth will be driven by the adoption of newly launched innovative products, with an average of 50–55 new medicines launching per year over the next five years, including those in oncology or with specialty or orphan status, as well as some more traditional therapies in diabetes, obesity and neurology. Specialty drugs generally refer to medications used to treat rare diseases and complex, chronic conditions. These often are life-changing treatments, helping patients with previously untreatable health issues to live longer, healthier lives.
However, specialty drugs come with challenges: They require special handling, more involved patient care, and typically come with a high cost. Patients often face reimbursement and financial hurdles to access these medications and need much greater support to both access the medications and take them as required.
At Cardinal Health Sonexus™ Access and Patient Support, we help life sciences companies and the patients they support navigate the complexities of patient access, financial assistance and therapy adherence. When these companies bring a specialty drug to market, they may not have the resources in-house to help patients diagnosed with rare diseases navigate the complexities of their care plan - and that’s where our team steps in.
Sonexus Access and Patient Support is a leading provider of patient access and support services. We bring hub and pharmacy operations, clinical expertise and digital tools such as our AI-powered chat solution available to patients 24/7, to provide critical patient support services that ease access to care. Learn more about the role we play in supporting these life sciences companies that develop specialty drugs – and ultimately, the patients they serve in need of these life-saving treatments.
As the specialty drug market grows, our team closely monitors industry trends to ensure we stay ahead of the curve to provide the best possible support for patients. We are committed to evolving our services to ensure a seamless and positive experience for those who rely on specialty therapies.
Regardless of what specific services we provide, we bring extensive experience and empathy for the patient at all steps of their journey. Our clients consistently mention our teamwork and ability to expedite the patient journey by helping answer questions, educating patients and physicians on actions they need to take, overcoming insurance roadblocks and more.
Evolution in process and in collaboration
Traditionally, life sciences companies have hired patient support service hubs like Sonexus Access and Patient Support for our full suite of technology and talent solutions to support patients prescribed with their specialty drugs. More and more, these companies are choosing to be more selective by leveraging only the patient services that align with their current brand strategy and goals. For example, a potential client may already have the extensive technology infrastructure in place to manage onboarding patients but not necessarily the high-touch patient support operational expertise in place to execute on their patient services strategy. One of our key differentiators is our ability to tailor our services to patients’ and life science companies’ evolving needs.
In-house technology capabilities often drive pharmaceutical companies’ specific outsourcing decisions. A recent survey commissioned by Sonexus Access and Patient Support validated that premise. Respondents marked “what technology we already have in-house” as a top criterion when making hub management decisions. For example, while companies may have the Customer Relationship Management technology they need, they still may need to outsource reimbursement, clinical, non-commercial pharmacy, and digital technology solutions. What’s more, about 73% of survey respondents are planning to adopt a partially insourced, partially outsourced patient support services hub model in the next two years.
These insights come roughly a year after a previous survey showed that all respondents outsource or have outsourced hub functions in the past three years – and almost all organizations polled (94%) manage some aspects of their patient support program in-house. As these organizations assess their hub program’s strengths and weaknesses, we step in to provide single service or comprehensive solutions to help customers optimize efficiencies and maximize their hub programs with the resources and tools they need the most.
Meeting pharmaceutical companies where they are
As clients’ needs have evolved, we have prioritized being adaptable and will continue to do so. We foresee that manufacturers will continue to outsource certain functions while seeking to insource others, depending on their specific needs and internal resources.
At Sonexus Access and Patient Support, our greatest strength lies in our ability to seamlessly integrate with clients, whatever their specific needs, with our unparalleled operational expertise and advanced technology. Patient support programs are complex to build and maintain. Regardless of which patient support services are insourced or outsourced, our team leverages our reimbursement, pharmacy and clinical expertise, technology or a combination of all three in a strategic way that supports patients, products and brands.
We are committed to providing every client with best-in-class services. We are equally dedicated to improving the patient's experience and ensuring that patients have access to the life-changing therapies they need. Our team embodies talent, authenticity and a true passion for what they do – ultimately making a positive difference for the life sciences companies we support and the patients who rely on their products.
As vice president and general manager of Sonexus Access and Patient Support, Josh Marsh oversees day-to-day program and pharmacy operations, leading a dedicated team with expertise across the clinical, payer and hub services sectors. Prior to Cardinal Health, Marsh spent the first 15 years of his career in operations across retail, specialty pharmacy and pharmacy benefit management.