The Payer Exchange Podcast Episode 1: FRANCE - Jean-Claude Castanier on Net Price, Transparency, and Sustainability
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In the opening episode of The Payer Exchange, Verpora’s Head of Payers, Omar Ali, speaks with Jean Claude Castanier, a former member of CEPS, the French Economic Committee for Health Products.
The conversation explores France’s approach to managing drug pricing and reimbursement in an increasingly complex therapeutic landscape. Jean Claude shares his perspective on the long-running challenges of preserving net price across multiple indications, the evolving role of payers as public communicators, and the importance of maintaining long-term healthcare system sustainability.
This episode offers rare, candid insight into the thinking behind one of Europe’s most influential pricing bodies—and sets the tone for a global series of honest conversations with payers on the front lines.
“Preserving net price in a multi-indication environment—it’s a constant negotiation. Sometimes even a war.”
About The Payer Exchange
The Payer Exchange is a podcast series that offers a candid and unfiltered look at how real-world decisions on drug pricing, access, and reimbursement are being made by payers across different healthcare systems.
Hosted by Omar Ali, Verpora’s Head of Payers, each episode features a one-to-one conversation with a payer from a different country in Verpora’s payer network. These are not panel discussions or scripted interviews—they are direct, unscripted dialogues that explore the practical realities of funding decisions from those who have been directly involved in them.
The series covers a range of consistent themes across markets—such as horizon scanning, indication-based pricing, rare diseases, and system sustainability—while also highlighting country-specific dynamics. By asking the same core questions in each conversation, the podcast reveals both common pressures and contrasting approaches across healthcare systems.
The Payer Exchange is designed for professionals working in market access, pricing, policy, and strategy who want a deeper understanding of how payers are approaching the increasingly complex landscape of pharmaceutical innovation.
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Next Episode
E2 Germany with Detlev Parow →
Disclaimer: This presentation is for educational and informational purposes only, and is not intended as legal or policy advice. This presentation is based on non-confidential intelligence. Views expressed by the speakers are personal opinions and should not be attributed to anyone else. No part of this presentation may be reproduced for commercial purposes without the express permission of Verpora.
