Cytokinetics is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing first-in-class muscle activators and next-in-class muscle inhibitors as potential treatments for debilitating diseases in which muscle performance is compromised and/or declining. As a leader in muscle biology and the mechanics of muscle performance, the company is developing small molecule drug candidates specifically engineered to impact muscle function and contractility.

Reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), the Vice President and Head of Value, Access & Distribution is responsible for developing and leading market access strategy and execution to ensure optimal market access conditions throughout the life cycle of Cytokinetics’ products. This leader is responsible for providing global strategic leadership and direction for distribution, reimbursement, payer access, health economics and outcomes research pricing and contracting. They will build and lead a high performing Value and Access team to ensure appropriate access and solutions for patients and providers. As a member of the commercial leadership team, this leader will work across the organization to ensure a successful launch of our first product with subsequent indications and products to likely follow. They will partner with stakeholders across the company, including European value and access leadership, sales, marketing, medical affairs, finance, and supply chain to secure and maintain optimal market access for our products and support global commercial success.

Responsibilities

As a member of the Global Commercial Leadership Team, the VP, Global Value, Access & Distribution will:

• Lead the Global Value and Access functions at Cytokinetics to support reimbursement, maximize patient access, revenue, and profitability. Support the launch of our first and subsequent products to achieve our growth objectives.
• Lead Global Value and Access function including Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR), Trade and Distribution, Field based payer account management teams, pricing and contracting. Initial focus is on launch of our first ever marketed product in the U.S. with additional products and indications expected to follow.
• Work collaboratively with EU Leadership Team to develop global pricing and reimbursement strategies and align them with EU stakeholders. Consult with EU Leaders to determine the EU launch sequence, considering international reference pricing. Support EU leaders in developing local value dossiers, economic value propositions, and innovative pricing solutions. Develop an understanding of the latest European market trends and the potential impact of market access policy of new drugs.
• Work with sales, marketing, and finance teams, recommend and execute a US managed care strategy for payer and key channels, including commercial insurers, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), Integrated Health Networks (IHN), State Medicaid, Medicare, and Federal VA/DoD channels.
• Collaborate with marketing in the development of the product value proposition and other resources for payer account managers, US payers, as well as pull-through communications and resources for the US field team(s).
• Oversee our Trade and Distribution strategy. Collaborating with cross functional team members as well as managing day to day activities with wholesalers, distributors, and pharmacies. This includes and is not limited to setting up pharmacy networks including negotiating, managing, and implementing contracts and fees for service agreements as required. Working closely with the supply chain team and coordinating with our 3PL operations.
• Supervise global HEOR function while collaborating with Medical Affairs to inform data generation plans to strengthen the product value dossier including compelling and credible information for the US, and global payer customers. Oversee design and implementation of research studies and protocols leveraging real world data to highlight disease burden and to provide economic perspective to support product portfolio decisions, product reimbursement strategies and regulatory agency submissions. Collaborate with clinical research to add health economics measures, patient reported outcomes and endpoints to clinical trials and biostatisticians to analyze and report study results. Oversee development of budget impact and cost-effectiveness models.
• Serve as a key stakeholder on US pricing committee and make recommendations to ensure alignment with all key stakeholders as it relates to contracting, rebating, to price adjustments, best price, and other related elements. Furthermore, serve as key stakeholder on global pricing committee to establish floor pricing as well as provide consultation and alignment with European leaders on launch sequencing and pricing considering reference pricing.
• Work cross functionally to ensure profitable and complaint contracts are successfully executed. This includes overseeing all contracting analytics and outcomes evaluations.
• Monitor trends and potential coverage and reimbursement issues, existing and emerging government and payer policies, competitive pricing and contracting strategies, and potential barriers to provider and patient access. Foster deep relationships/partnerships with key payer and critical third-party relationships.
• Proactively meet with senior leadership at key U.S. payers to identify opportunities for broader collaboration and partnership, including both regional and national health plans.
• Maintain ongoing relationships with U.S. payers, monitor performance of new contracts and pull-through.
• Develop and oversee implementation of U.S. managed care strategy, analytics and contracting initiatives that will drive above market performance. Lead the managed care strategy with a primary focus on strategically significant (enterprise) payers and targeted regional payers to optimize new patient volume, new revenue opportunities and reduced economic risk exposure. Ensure every enterprise payer has a strategic plan, communication and governance process and that plans are updated annually.

Our employees come from different backgrounds, and we celebrate those differences. We are looking for the best candidates for our open roles, but do not expect applicants to meet every qualification in order to be considered. If you are excited about what you could accomplish at Cytokinetics and believe you can add value to our team, we would love to hear from you.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will bring the following track record and experiences:

• BS/BA degree; master’s degree or higher preferred.
• Minimum of fifteen (15) years with biopharmaceutical market access experience, including direct healthcare systems experience in a health plan environment including significant experience in network development, provider/third party payer contracting, value-based reimbursement, and the development of ACOs; in-depth knowledge of managed care regulations; solid understanding of health plan operations and how they think and make decisions.
• Innovative Thinking: Demonstrated ability to leverage innovation to drive results including successful strategies to overcome barriers to access.
• Collaboration: Strong collaboration skills, both within commercial teams and cross functional teams including R&D, marketing, sales, manufacturing, and medical affairs.
• Deep understanding of and compliance with the OIG and FDA regulations governing pharmaceutical marketing and the PhRMA code.
• While the role has a global remit, this leader should have extensive US market access experience, ideally combined with experience or oversight of European or broader international markets. Established relationships with several key national and regional payers; ability to easily make calls to discuss market needs and opportunities.
• Demonstrated knowledge of managed care lines of business, including Medicare, state Medicaid and Commercial HMO products; Clear understating of Medicare and Medicaid public policy as it relates to quality measures and reimbursement. Launch experience is a must, cardiology experience is highly preferred but not required
• Commutable to either South San Francisco or Radnor, PA is required with in office expectation of at least 3 days per week.
• Ability to travel ~35% required.

Salary pay range: $330,000 - $370,000. Actual salary at the time of hire may vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors, including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant qualifications, skills, and experience, as well as the service line and location where this position may be filled.  Please review our General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) policy PRIOR to applying.  

Our passion is anchored in robust scientific thinking, grounded in integrity and critical thinking. We keep the patient front and center in all we do – all actions and decisions are in service of the patient and their caregivers. We champion integrity, ethics, doing the right thing, and being our best selves.

Please visit our website at: www.cytokinetics.com

Cytokinetics is an Equal Opportunity Employer