Impath's unorthodox step into the cancer information business has made it attractive to Wall Street, but will its vast, specialized databases allow it to reap benefits from pharmacogenetics? The real value to Impath of its databases resides in their ability to promote work on targeted therapeutics, whose use in patients will depend on critical markers. But targeted therapeutics are a controversial concept that requires pharma companies to make basic changes in the way they operate. There's no guarantee Impath can get the pay-off it wants from its new initiatives.

ACOs have been one of the most hyped innovations in the US health care sector this decade. The buzz may be overdone, but ACOs are now established as a different—and confusing—new customer segment for pharma. How is industry adjusting?

Pharma companies are building long-term value propositions that should appeal to Accountable Care Organizations into some go-to-market strategies for new drugs and to repositioning efforts of already marketed drugs that have hit snags. The rationale might seem straightforward—for example, more convenient dosing that improves compliance and cuts down hospitalization rates--but the nuances can be complex. Moreover, even when their products appear to have compelling cases for value, companies have not by and large made ACOs a distinct target for their commercial operations.