AstraZeneca PLC (NASDAQ:AZN) Q2 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

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Mene Pangalos: Yes. I mean I think when we have a chance, hopefully, in the next six to 12 months to talk about all of the assets, both early, mid- and late-stage assets across CVRM across respiratory immunology, B&I, I mean it’s a very rich and deep portfolio with many, many opportunities, many of them significant. We are moving more to specialty, but there’s still a place for the primary care. And Sharon, I can just second what you’re going to say he’s going to be a fantastic leader for us. It doesn’t reflect any change in strategy, more continuity with hopefully going from strength-to-strength and building on what we have already built.

Pascal Soriot: One thing that certainly Sharon can help us do is continue building this focus in immunology, sorry, that many started and that will be an important chapter of our future. Matt Weston at Credit Suisse.

Matt Weston: Thank you, Pascal. Can I ask a question about IRA Part D Reform? So at face value, Astra’s oral oncology business is going to face significant headwinds over the coming years as farmers contribution to catastrophic cover in Part D steps up significantly. But offsetting that was also the potential for volume uplift on lower co-pays and reduced foundation support. I wonder if Dave could walk us through the pushes and pulls for the oncology business and whether he sees it as a meaningful net negative, something that washes its face or maybe even a net positive. And if I am a lot, Pascal. I know you said one, can I cheat Susan on TLO 1, when do you expect the OS data to be mature? And will you present the PFS data before the OS data is available?

Pascal Soriot: Thank you. So, thanks, Matt. So, on the IRA, it is in terms of co-pays, et cetera. I think it’s probably a small positive for primary care products and a big positive — bigger positive for oncology, not only oncology but more expensive oral medicines. And with this, I’ll hand over to Dave, who can comment more specifically on oncology.

Dave Fredrickson: Yeah. So if we take a look at the first part, Matt, of the question, we haven’t shared now for quite some time specific product level breakdown of percent of business that’s within Medicare Part D, what we have shared that across the AstraZeneca complete portfolio, the 25% to 30% of it is Part D. And you’re right that the oral oncolytics are above that average relative to understanding the magnitude of the exposure here. So certainly, you can model out what the impact of having to pick up catastrophic looks like. I will say though that it is an important offset that comes with the ability to be able to have co-pay capped, and also smoothed over the course of the year with these expensive oncologics, really the co-pay exposure that patients in Medicare plans face on the affordability is quite significant.

There is no mechanism for industry to be able to help in the way that we do with programs in the commercial side of things. So while $2,000 of co-pay may be a barrier for a number of patients still within the United States, particularly within some of the elderly populations, we do think that there’s an important reduction that’s going to happen here. Overall, we’ll have to see how much we’re able to actually get patients off of free goods programs as a result of this, and we’ll keep that — we’ll keep you updated on that as it unfolds, and we’ll start to find out next year, actually as co-pay moves down to a 3,500 cap on January of 2024.

Pascal Soriot: Susan?

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