Vizient Hosts 2025 Cell, Gene & Specialty Pharmacy Symposium to Advance Patient Care and Health System Readiness

May 13, 2025 at 06:00 AM EDT

Vizient hosted its second annual cell, gene and specialty pharmacy symposium, bringing together thought leaders committed to the advancement of health-system pharmacy in the management, delivery, and optimization of advanced therapeutics. The event was held April 22-24 in Frisco, Texas.

“The growth of cell and gene therapies is accelerating change across healthcare, requiring new approaches to forecasting, resource planning, and patient access to ensure readiness for what’s ahead,” said Carina Dolan, PharmD, MS, BCOP, associate vice president, market insights and forecasting, Pharmacy Solutions, Vizient.

As this growing class of cell and gene therapeutics reshapes care delivery, site-of-care strategies, and health system economics, industry stakeholders are seeking how to manage these new and promising drugs. Attendees exchanged ideas, operational and financial challenges and hope for the advancement of patient care.

“Cell and gene therapies are transforming care for patients with complex conditions. To deliver on their promise, we must evolve how we provide care—expanding access, building infrastructure, and preparing teams for a new era of treatment,” said Tami John, MD, Stanford Children’s Health, who delivered the keynote address.

Rhae Ana Gamber, associate principle, intelligence at Sg2, a Vizient company, presented with colleagues, “Exploring Today’s Market Trends for High Impact Disease,” which projected that with adoption of emerging cell and gene therapies, healthcare organizations could see a decline in utilization across several service lines. For example, cell and gene therapy for benign hematology, including sickle cell, could reduce current annual inpatient discharges by 29% by 2034 from a 2024 baseline of roughly 44,000.

Vizient also provided an overview for new therapies currently in the approval process. Amanda Frick, sr. clinical manager, pharmacy market insights and forecasting noted that in addition to 25 FDA-approved gene and cellular immunotherapies on the market today, Vizient is monitoring 265 gene and cellular immunotherapy products in the U.S. pharmacy pipeline. Jenna Stern, vice president, regulatory affairs and public policy highlighted how major policy shifts are reshaping the regulatory landscape. These factors underscore the urgency for healthcare organizations to develop procedures for how to manage these costly therapeutics, which can range up to over $1 million per dose.

Across multiple panel discussions, panelists emphasized the critical role of negotiating comprehensive contracts to safeguard against unexpected challenges. Additional key takeaways included insights from the payer perspective, strategies to improve patient access and advocacy, the importance of streamlining interdepartmental approvals, and efforts to bridge the gap between pharmacy and finance.

Learn more about how Vizient helps providers find cell and gene therapy solutions.

About Vizient, Inc.

Vizient, Inc., the nation’s largest provider-driven healthcare performance improvement company, serves more than 65% of the nation’s acute care providers, including 97% of the nation’s academic medical centers, and more than 35% of the non-acute market. The Vizient contract portfolio represents $140 billion in annual purchasing volume enabling the delivery of cost-effective, high-value care. With its acquisition of Kaufman Hall in 2024, Vizient expanded its advisory services to help providers achieve financial, strategic, clinical and operational excellence. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Vizient has offices throughout the United States. Learn more at www.vizientinc.com.