Charlotte, N.C., February 26, 2025 – Premier, Inc. (NASDAQ: PINC), a leading technology-driven healthcare improvement company, today announced a collaboration with the National Evaluation System for health Technology (NEST) to advance the use of real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) in medical device evaluation. Premier is the first partner announced following the NEST Medical Device Real-World Evidence (RWE) Marketplace request-for-participation (RFP) process conducted last year.

NEST, an initiative within the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC), aims to support the sustainable generation and use of timely, reliable and cost-effective RWE throughout the medical device total product lifecycle (TPLC), using high-quality RWD analyzed using robust methodological standards. As part of the collaboration, Premier’s data assets will be assessed using the NEST Mark approach. This approach is designed to de-risk the use of RWD for supporting regulatory filings, because it uses well-defined processes in evaluating the relevance and reliability of RWD to generate RWE. This effort aims to improve confidence in RWE and enhance predictability in medical device evaluation.

“We view this partnership as an incredible opportunity to help shepherd medical device innovations to market,” said Ariann Polasky Stone, Premier Applied Sciences Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Relationships. “Often, these companies face steep challenges on the path to commercialization. We believe the NEST Mark process, coupled with our rich data and research expertise, will help our partners abbreviate timelines, reduce costs and achieve their regulatory goals while improving patient outcomes.

“Ultimately, it’s a huge win for patients because it could improve access to safe, lifesaving and life-changing innovations in medical device technology.”

Premier has key capabilities that support the NEST mission:

• Premier has deep relationships with its health system customers, which includes nearly 4,400 hospitals and health systems.

• Fueled by Premier’s vast customer network, the Premier Healthcare Database (PHD) is a HIPAA-compliant, retrospective database and one of the most comprehensive electronic healthcare data repositories.

• The PHD includes chargemaster data. This data set – the largest of its kind in the country – is valuable for analyses of medical devices or drugs because it identifies devices and drugs charged during an inpatient or outpatient encounter, delivering essential context to inform analyses and support the decision-making process.

• Chargemaster data may be useful to medical device companies for submission of RWE as part of a regulatory submission because it can capture off-label use.

• Additionally, the PHD can be used to identify certain Adverse Device Effects (ADEs) that occurred during the hospital encounter yet may not be captured in claims billing data.

• The Premier Applied Sciences (PAS) research team has extensive experience with regulatory submissions and will work alongside the NEST team in guiding medical device companies through the process. PAS is the life sciences division of Premier.

“Real-world data must meet high standards to be useful in regulatory decision-making,” said Simon Mason, NEST President. “The NEST Mark approach provides a structured way to assess study design and data quality elements of relevance and reliability, giving industry greater confidence in generating regulatory-grade evidence. We’re excited to partner with Premier to expand access to high-quality data, advancing our shared mission of strengthening real-world evidence in medical device evaluation and supporting better-informed healthcare decisions.”

Premier, Inc. Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this release that are not statements of historical or current facts, including but not limited to those related to Premier’s ability to advance its business strategies and improve healthcare, and the intended or expected performance or utility of Premier’s products and services, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause performance or achievements to be materially different from historical results or from any future results or projections expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. More information on risks and uncertainties relating to Premier and its products and services is included from time to time in the “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” “Risk Factors,” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of Premier’s periodic filings with the SEC, which are also made available on Premier’s website at investors.premierinc.com. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Premier undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events that occur after that date, or otherwise.

About NEST (National Evaluation System for health Technology)

In 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) awarded the Medical Device Innovation Consortium (MDIC) funding to establish the National Evaluation System for health Technology Coordinating Center (NEST). NEST is advancing the use of real-world evidence (RWE) in medical devices for regulatory decision-making and committed to transforming the way medical device technologies are tested, approved, and monitored. The Coordinating Center combines RWE system infrastructure with the unparalleled expertise of its network collaborators to accelerate patients’ access to safe and effective medical technology and provide Quality Evidence by Design™. For more information, visit http://www.nestcc.org.

Funding for NEST was made possible, in part, by the Food and Drug Administration through grant (U01 FD 006292). Views expressed in written materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does any mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organization imply endorsement by the United States Government.

About MDIC (Medical Device Innovation Consortium)

At MDIC, we unite in a shared mission to improve health and save lives by accelerating access to medical technologies. Through stakeholder collaboration, MDIC leads the way in advancing the scientific and technical foundations of medical device design, manufacturing, regulation, reimbursement and clinical integration. Founded in 2012 as a nonprofit, public-private partnership to elevate regulatory science, MDIC develops new approaches and tools for addressing shared challenges among medical device manufacturers, researchers, regulators, payers, patients, and health care providers. We deliver high impact work in the core areas of quality design and manufacturing, evidence generation, digital technology and transformation, and patient engagement. To learn more and join us in our mission, visit MDIC.org.

NEST Contact: communications@mdic.org