Biopharmaceutical innovation is advancing at an unprecedented pace, yet many patients still face barriers to accessing new medicines. In this episode of Health Matters, John O’Brien, president and CEO of the National Pharmaceutical Council, speaks with Kristin Cahill about why policy, pricing and benefit design are increasingly shaping whether innovation reaches patients.

O’Brien shares insights from his career spanning pharmaceutical companies, health plans and government, including his time as a senior drug pricing advisor during the first Trump administration. He explains why prescription drugs remain a focal point in cost debates, what policymakers often misunderstand about value, and how middlemen and misaligned incentives affect what patients pay at the pharmacy counter.

The conversation also examines emerging approaches such as direct-to-patient models, most-favored-nation pricing and the early effects of the Inflation Reduction Act, highlighting potential benefits as well as risks to access and future innovation. For healthcare professionals, payers and marketers seeking clarity in a complex policy environment, this episode offers a grounded perspective on how to ensure medical breakthroughs translate into meaningful patient benefit. Listen to the full interview.