Avalere Health will focus its pro bono services for the Arthritis Foundation on disease prevalence, progression, and treatment impacts for women as they age. Despite existing research, sex-specific analysis remains limited.

“Through this collaboration, the Arthritis Foundation will be able to identify the critical health challenges affecting women aged 40 and older, particularly those within the Medicare population, with a focus on rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis,” said Laura Housman, Ph.D., Practice Director at Avalere Health.

Avalere Health Advisory’s Pro Bono Grant Initiative is a new program created to offer free data-driven analyses, research, or consulting services to nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organizations.

“There are healthcare organizations that are facing unique challenges in today’s current funding environment,” said Dr. Housman. “This Initiative is our way of ensuring nonprofit groups continue to deliver their services that could have been delayed, cut, or shelved because of limited resources.” Avalere Health’s pro-bono committee is now taking applications for Fall 2025 and the deadline to submit is Friday, August 29. Applications will be selected based on four evaluation criteria:

• Impact on Underrepresented Populations: Addressing an underrepresented population, location, or disease state.
• Public Reach: Opportunity to increase impact or adoption through highly public or significant work.
• Promotion of Health Equity: Potential to advance health equity, improve access to healthcare, or enhance health outcomes for individuals.
• Relevance to Avalere Health’s Mission: Alignment with Avalere Health’s efforts to reach EVERY PATIENT POSSIBLE.

Recipients of the Avalere Health Advisory’s Pro Bono Grant Initiative will receive services based on their specific needs. The company will not undertake any lobbying activities, including any project that will require Avalere Health or any of its employees to register as a “Lobbyist” under the federal Lobbying Disclosure Act or similar state laws. Any public-facing deliverables will require Avalere Health to retain editorial control and will not include specific recommendations, advocacy, or endorsement of any specific policy position. All deliverables and research will maintain objectivity and will be neutral in tone.

To apply for the Avalere Health Advisory Pro Bono Initiative, please download the application form here:

2025 Application_Avalere Health Advisory Pro Bono Initiative

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OUD is diagnosed when individuals experience persistent and ongoing need to use opioids, which can involve prescription or illegal opioids, leading to significant distress or impairment in daily functioning. Approximately 6.1 million people in the U.S. have the disease, but only one in four receive recommended medications for treatment.

“Despite the well-established benefits of OUD therapies, individuals with OUD face significant barriers to treatment,” said Margaret Scott, a Principal at Avalere Health. “Our study shows that barriers to care include physician stigmatizing and expressing reluctance to treat OUD patients, inadequate provider education and training, geographic distances to treatment locations, and social stigma.”

Avalere Health conducted the research and modeled the costs and treatment-savings effects of OUD nationally and by state. The researchers focused their analysis on three key areas:

• Identifying the prevalence of OUD
• Modeling the costs of OUD
• Evaluating the cost savings of four ambulatory OUD treatments (i.e., behavioral therapy alone; behavioral therapy plus methadone; behavioral therapy plus transmucosal buprenorphine; and behavioral therapy plus long-acting injectable [LAI] buprenorphine)

Avalere Health researchers discovered that the U.S. national average cost of OUD per case is nearly $700,000, with over $150,000 borne by government, businesses, and families. Of the treatments evaluated, long-acting injectables with behavioral therapy demonstrated the highest estimated annual per-case savings at $295,000. In the four states with the highest OUD cases, researchers outlined the total federal and state costs*.

“As states and local governments explore new strategies to reduce healthcare costs, encouraging public health, governments, and payers to prioritize OUD treatments can lead to greater savings,” said Michael Ciarametaro, Managing Director at Avalere Health.
To download “The Cost of Addiction: Opioid Use Disorder in the U.S.,” click here.

The post Research on Opioid Use Reveals States, Local Governments Spend $94 Billion Annually appeared first on Avalere Health Advisory.

“With increasing focus among healthcare stakeholders on the future direction of drug development, rising cost pressures, and the ongoing reorganization at federal agencies, our clients are facing significant uncertainty,” said Milena Sullivan, Practice Director, Policy Advisory. “Mark’s experience and deep knowledge of CMS policies will be invaluable in guiding clients on critical business strategies and policy decisions.”

As Deputy Group Director at CMS, Newsom co-managed six divisions, driving:

• Medicare Part D benefits policy, formulary review, medication therapy management (MTM) and plan contracting
• Medicare Advantage and Part D Stars Quality Program
• Operation of the Health Plan Management System (HPMS)

In addition to his roles at CMS, Newsom also served as a senior policy advisor at the Congressional Research Service during the development and passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In addition to his working the government sector, Newsom held senior policy and compliance roles at Humana, CVS Health, and Coventry.

“Avalere Health’s reputation in policy and market access attracts some of the best experts in the field,” said Newsom.

“Mark’s skills and experience will be invaluable to our growing portfolio of clients to both health plans and life science companies,” added Sarah Alwardt, President, Avalere Health Advisory.
The Advisory team at Avalere Health serves clients across the healthcare ecosystem, bringing actionable strategies and data-driven solutions that anticipate and adapt to the latest industry trends, reaching EVERY PATIENT POSSIBLE and creating a world where no patient is left behind.

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“Accessing more recent claims and receiving updates more frequently is a game changer,” explained Amanda Tripp, Managing Director. “The healthcare landscape is rapidly evolving and access to these more timely data allows our top-notch analytical team to better support our clients.”

Avalere already has access to 2018-2023 medical claims (Parts A and B) and pharmaceutical data (Part D) for the FFS Medicare population. The new data use agreement with CMS will enable Avalere analysts to further develop patient journey studies that incorporate new technologies and drugs in a timely fashion.

The data can also be used to answer important and timely questions, such as:

• Impact of policy changes such as site neutral payment,
• Implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act,
• Effect on the delivery of care and access for patients with specific health conditions, and
• Effect on therapeutic areas and to manufacturers.

As the US healthcare system still grapples with the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, Avalere will be able to help healthcare stakeholders understand how the landscape has shifted and, more importantly, identify ways to support Medicare beneficiaries impacted by COVID-19.

“This new access to CMS data enables Avalere to accelerate our ability to provide clients insights faster,” added Maddi Davidson, Principal. “Our clients partner with Avalere for our subject matter expertise and our unique ability to analyze data.

To learn more about Avalere’s new data access and how we can support your business goals, connect with us.

The post Avalere Is Awarded Accelerated Access to Medicare Claims Data appeared first on Avalere Health Advisory.

“Milena has more than two decades of experience in policy and advocacy, including industry experience from her tenure with large life science companies,” says Avalere President Sarah Alwardt, Ph.D. “She will lead the policy practice with vision, creativity, and excellence.”

Milena steps into the role as Miryam Frieder transitions to serve as our Senior Advisor. “Miryam has dedicated nearly 18 years to Avalere and will leave a lasting impact. She will be greatly missed.”

Milena’s career includes policy roles through consulting, think tank, trade association, and life sciences corporations. During her tenure at Avalere, Milena has served as a key leader advising clients on the impact of the evolving healthcare policy landscape on their commercial, access, and advocacy priorities. Milena has been overseeing ongoing retainer engagements with a number of top life sciences companies, as well as key trade associations and provider organizations. In the last year, she also led Avalere’s internal and external efforts related to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

“I am honored and humbled to step into a role leading the most talented and driven healthcare policy experts in the business,” Milena says. “I deeply respect the hard work and passion that this team devotes to their roles, and I am optimistic about what lies ahead for our journey together, specially amidst a very dynamic policy environment.”

Avalere’s policy practice group has built a national reputation for its uncompromising fact-based analyses, objective perspectives, and intelligent strategies that lead to innovative, data-driven solutions. In addition to policy, Avalere’s integrated services include market access, health economics and outcomes research, patient-centered outcomes, vaccine strategies, and due diligence, both from a US and global lens.

Erica Eisenhart, who began her Avalere journey over 17 years ago, manages Avalere’s operations team. In recent years, she was responsible for establishing and managing the Project Management Office and Contract Specialists teams and led Avalere’s integration into the Fishawack Health organization (now Avalere Health). Currently, Erica is leading the integration of several Avalere Health business units.

“Erica’s promotion to Practice Director reaffirms her exceptional leadership, significant grace under pressure, and focused ability to always know what’s most important—keeping our team operating at a high level,” added Sarah.

The post Avalere Announces Practice Directors for Policy, Operations appeared first on Avalere Health Advisory.

As President, Alwardt leads the U.S. Policy, Access, Value and Evidence capability at Avalere’s parent company, Avalere Health. In taking on the dual roles, she will further integrate Avalere’s deep expertise in federal and state policy, market access and reimbursement, evidence and strategy, and due diligence into Avalere Health’s global services across the product lifecycle.

Alwardt will work closely with Avalere Health’s President of Global Policy, Access, Value and Evidence, Tim Wright, with both leaders reporting into Amar Urhekar, Chief Operating Officer of Avalere Health. Together they will provide unrivaled global expertise in North America, Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region, driving innovative integrated solutions for clients around the world.

The Avalere team plays an integral role in providing a 360-degree view of the healthcare landscape to all capabilities across Avalere Health — Policy, Access, Value, and Evidence; Medical; Consulting; Marketing; and Digital Experience Technology. Working collaboratively throughout the organization, Avalere ensures all teams can provide clients unparalleled insight into the evolving legislative and market access landscapes. These insights are fueled by access to a wealth of datasets, including extensive open and closed claims data across payer markets, clinical data and data on the social determinants of health, formulary and benefit design, digital devices and patient programs.

“Our clients are facing challenges from the Inflation Reduction Act, increasing demands for evidence generation, and continuing efforts to ensure patients have a voice in their own healthcare,” said Amar Urhekar, Chief Operating Officer of Avalere Health. “It is vital for our clients to remain at the forefront of these trends. Sarah is a highly accomplished leader who will expertly guide our teams in providing creative solutions for clients to influence, prepare for and rapidly respond to the changing market.”

Prior to her role as President, Alwardt led Avalere’s Evidence and Strategy practice, where she galvanized key players across the care continuum to transform healthcare and give patients a voice. She has more than 20 years of experience in leadership, strategy and operations for biopharmaceutical industries, with expertise in real-world data and advanced analytics for maximizing product value and performance.

Before joining Avalere, Alwardt launched and grew Ontada, McKesson’s oncology research business that provides evidence-development strategies. Under her leadership, Ontada produced more than 200 scientific publications and submitted multiple regulatory filings. Prior to McKesson, she spent 10 years at Humana, where she held leadership roles in research, program and process development.

“In the face of healthcare’s most complex challenges, our clients need a partner who can deliver practical, actionable solutions. Our deep subject-matter expertise and data-driven insights help stakeholders navigate the impact of these challenges on their business and on the patient experience,” says Alwardt. “I’m thrilled to lead our U.S. Policy, Access, Value and Evidence team into the future as a trusted partner for clients across the healthcare spectrum.”

About Avalere and Avalere Health

A healthcare consulting firm for more than 20 years, Avalere partners with leading life sciences companies, health plans, providers, and investors to bring innovative, data-driven solutions to today’s most complex healthcare challenges. Follow Avalere on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Avalere is part of Avalere Health, a purposefully built commercialization partner for the biopharmaceutical, medical technology, and wellness industries. Its 1,500+ experts combine their knowledge and expertise across our core disciplines—Consulting; Medical; Policy, Access, Value, and Evidence; Marketing; and Digital Experience and Technology—to create the connections that make better health happen. Visit www.avalerehealth.com and follow Avalere Health on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Contact Information

US contact:

Lisa Murphy: lmurphy@avalere.com

Global contact:

Natasha Cowan:  natasha.cowan@avalerehealth.com

The post Sarah Alwardt Brings Data and Technology to the Forefront in Dual Role as President of Avalere and U.S. Policy, Access, Value and Evidence at Avalere Health appeared first on Avalere Health Advisory.

Lance Grady will step into a new role as executive vice president, Life Sciences Strategy & Growth. For the past 3.5 years, Lance has led the Market Access practice, devising commercialization strategies focused on product launch, pricing, value, access, and reimbursement. Lance has over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, including 12 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb in various leadership roles in US Market Access, Policy, and Commercialization. In this new position, Lance will lead strategy and growth with Life Sciences for Avalere and in connection with broader teams at Fishawack Health.

Omar Hafez will assume leadership of the Avalere US Market Access team as senior vice president and Market Access practice director. Omar was a managing director in the same practice for 3 years, where he advised a range of clients on issues including supply chain, drug pricing, launch strategy, and oncology market analytics and planning. He brings deep expertise in strategy, operations, commercialization, and analytics across core client segments. Prior to joining Avalere, Omar enjoyed a successful career at McKesson, guiding a sizable business and building on his reputation as a leader of high-performing teams and expert in end-to-end strategic market-access consultancy.

For inquiries, please reach out to media@avalere.com.

About Avalere

A healthcare consulting firm for more than 20 years, Avalere partners with leading life sciences companies, health plans, providers, and investors to bring innovative, data-driven solutions to today’s most complex healthcare challenges. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Avalere is a part of Fishawack Health, a purposefully built commercialization partner for the biopharmaceutical, medical technology, and wellness industries. Its 1,500+ experts combine their knowledge and expertise across our core disciplines—medical; marketing; digital experience and technology; policy; value, evidence, and access; and consulting—to create the connections that make better health happen. Visit us at www.fishawack.com.

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Sarah Alwardt, PhD, Senior Vice President, will serve as interim president of Avalere and head of PAVE US as the company launches an internal and external search.

Sarah currently leads Avalere’s Evidence & Strategy practice, where she identifies and convenes key players across the care continuum to transform healthcare and give patients a voice. Sarah has over 20 years of experience in leadership, strategy, and operations for biopharmaceutical industries, with expertise in real-world data and advanced analytics related to maximizing product value and performance.

As interim president, Sarah will work closely with the leadership teams of Avalere and its broader organization, Fishawack Health, to ensure that the firm continues to develop practical solutions for clients that are driven by robust data and deep healthcare expertise. For questions or inquiries, please contact media@avalere.com.

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