Covington & Burling LLP operates as a limited liability partnership worldwide, with the practice in England and Wales conducted by an affiliated
limited liability multinational partnership, Covington & Burling LLP, which is formed under the laws of the State of Delaware in the United States
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Rujul Desai advises clients on drug pricing, market access, reimbursement, strategic contracting, and regulatory solutions for drugs, biologicals, devices, and diagnostics. He brings deep experience with biopharma, specialty pharmacy, and pharmacy benefit management (PBM) companies.
Rujul has held a number of leadership roles in the biopharma, PBM, and specialty pharmacy industry, including with CVS Caremark, UCB, and most recently as Vice President at Avalere Health. He has led engagements across a wide range of U.S. and global market access and reimbursement issues, including optimizing new product launches, pricing, PBM and payer formulary access, value-based contracting, distribution network design, patient access and hub services, affordability programs, e-prescribing, digital health, and the use of health economic data and modeling.
Rujul is an author of the U.S. chapter of a global treatise on drug pricing and reimbursement.
Rujul was a Captain in the Medical Services Corps of the U.S. Army Reserves, and served in active duty in Iraq.
Supported pricing, contracting, distribution and market access strategy for several recent specialty product launches in oncology, immunology, neurology, and rare diseases.
Developed value-based contracts, outcomes measures, technology platforms, and clinical services for biopharma clients across several therapeutic areas.
Advised on coverage, coding and reimbursement approaches for a blue tooth enabled drug dispensing device and related technologies. Assessing market opportunities across payer types, settings of care, and disease states, including potential of integrated bundled drug and diagnostic test offering.
Led strategic review of global Health Technology Assessment (HTA) engagement preparedness and tactical plans for newly launched product.
Developed strategic plan for seeking improved payment options for medical foods product.
Provided health care, compliance, market access, privacy, and FDA advisory advice to Pear Therapeutics, Inc., a prescription digital therapeutic company based in Boston.
Conducted independent analysis for biopharma pricing committee to inform product launch pricing and PBM rebate strategies.
Designed specialty pharmacy distribution network contracts, as well as patient hub service programs for several orphan products.
Developed pricing, contracting, and payer messaging strategies for biopharma client to address competitor biosimilar market entry.
Conducted assessment of digital health and e-prescribing impact to market access contracting and provider messaging for biopharma clients.