Company: PHAT
Filing Date: 2025-03-06
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000950170-25-034183
Chunk: 64

Company: Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-03-06
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 64
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. Coverage and reimbursement for VOQUEZNA, VOQUEZNA TRIPLE PAK and VOQUEZNA DUAL PAK and any future product candidates can be subject to challenge, reduction or denial by third-party payers. 

The process for determining whether a third-party payer will provide coverage for a product is typically separate from the process for setting the reimbursement rate that the payer will pay for the product. In the United States, there is no uniform policy among payers for coverage or reimbursement. Decisions regarding whether to cover a product, the extent of coverage and amount of reimbursement to be provided are made on a plan-by-plan basis. Third-party payers often rely upon Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own coverage and reimbursement policies, but also have their own methods and approval processes. Therefore, coverage and reimbursement for products can differ significantly from payer to payer. As a result, the coverage determination process is often a time-consuming and costly process that can require manufacturers to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of a product to each payer separately, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance. 

Third-party payers are increasingly challenging the price and examining the medical necessity and cost-effectiveness of medical products and services, in addition to their safety and efficacy. Adoption of price controls and cost-containment measures, and adoption of more restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and measures, could further limit sales of any product that receives approval. Third-party payers may not consider vonoprazan or any future product candidates to be medically necessary or cost-effective compared to other available therapies, or the rebate percentages required to secure favorable coverage may not yield an adequate margin over cost or may not enable us to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate return on our investment in drug development. Additionally, decreases in third-party reimbursement for any product or a decision by a third-party payer not to cover a product could reduce physician usage and patient demand for the product. 

Medicaid is a joint federal and state program administered by the states for low-income and disabled beneficiaries. Medicare is a federal program that is administered by the federal government covering individuals age 65 and over as well as those with certain disabilities. Under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, or MDRP, as a condition of having federal funds being made available to the states for covered outpatient drugs under Medicaid, and, if applicable, Medicare Part B, pharmaceutical manufacturers must enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Health and Human Services to pay a rebate