Radar on Specialty Pharmacy

Data from two clinical studies found that people with inflammatory bowel disease — ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease — who were enrolled in one company’s IBD-focused digital care coordination program experienced decreases in both emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations compared with control groups. The data, says the company’s CEO, show the benefits of partnerships among stakeholders to manage chronic gastrointestinal (GI) care.

Established in 2018, SonarMD, Inc. enters into risk-bearing value-based care arrangements with health plans and gastroenterology practices. It currently has five such arrangements with large plans and partners with hundreds of U.S. gastroenterologists.

Specialty drugs are still taken by only a small percentage of people but represent more than half of total drug costs. Anti-inflammatory specialty therapies continue to be a huge driver of those costs, according to the recently released 2023 Drug Trend Report from PBM analytics firm Xevant. The specialty pipeline remains strong, and payers should expect these agents to continue to affect their costs, says one industry expert.

Based on Xevant’s book of business for 2022 and 2023, the company observed an 11% increase in the number of prescriptions filled for specialty drugs. The plan-paid amounts for those agents rose 19%, slightly less than nonspecialty medications’ 22% plan-paid costs. In addition, the average plan cost per specialty prescription rose from $6,100 in 2022 to $6,700 in 2023.

April 30: The FDA expanded the patient population of CSL Vifor’s Mircera (methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta) to include the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease in pediatric patients 3 months old to 17 years old on dialysis and not on dialysis who are converting from another erythropoiesis-stimulating agent after their hemoglobin level was stabilized with an ESA. The agency also approved a subcutaneous route of administration for pediatric patients. The FDA first approved the long-acting ESA on Nov. 14, 2007. Dosing for the newest use is once every four weeks based on total weekly epoetin alfa or darbepoetin alfa dose at the time of conversion. The agent is available in both intravenous and subcutaneous formulations, and patients younger than 6 years old should maintain the same route of administration as the previous ESA. Drugs.com lists the price of one 75 mcg/0.3 mL injectable solution as more than $237.

Multiple developments around biosimilar versions of AbbVie Inc.’s Humira (adalimumab) have occurred. Teva Pharmaceuticals, a unit of Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd., and Alvotech launched Simlandi (adalimumab-ryvk) in the U.S., the companies disclosed on May 20. The FDA approved the interchangeable, high-concentration, citrate-free drug on Feb. 23 for nine of its reference drug’s indications.…Boehringer Ingelheim said on May 13 that it had signed an agreement with Quallent Pharmaceuticals, a private-label pharmaceutical distributor that is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Cigna Group, to offer both high- and low-concentration, citrate-free versions of adalimumab-adbm through a copay assistance program. The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor’s interchangeable designation applies to the low-concentration version. Boehringer will continue to commercialize that agent and its branded version, Cyltezo, which has approval for nine of Humira’s indications.…Celltrion USA has made its high-concentration, citrate-free adalimumab-aaty available at a low wholesale acquisition cost that is an 85% discount to Humira’s WAC, the company revealed on May 9. Its branded version, Yuflyma, remains available at a 5% discount to Humira’s WAC. The agent is approved for eight of Humira’s indications.

The FDA recently approved the second gene therapy for hemophilia B, Pfizer Inc.’s Beqvez (fidanacogene elaparvovec-dzkt). While the agent offers an additional treatment option with the potential for freedom from regular infusions of factor therapy, its price — which is equal to that of its competitor — may be too high for many payers, according to a Zitter Insights survey. Industry experts say that it may suffer from some of the challenges other cell and gene therapies have faced in gaining a foothold in the U.S. market.

On April 25, the FDA approved Beqvez for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe hemophilia B who use factor IX (FIX) prophylaxis therapy; have current or historical life-threatening hemorrhage; or have repeated, serious spontaneous bleeding episodes and do not have neutralizing antibodies to adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype Rh74var (AAVRh74var) capsid as detected by an FDA-approved test. The manufacturer launched a warranty program for the intravenous infusion based on durability of patient response to treatment.

While health care payers are facing a variety of issues, paying for multimillion-dollar cell and gene therapies (CGTs) is one of the most pressing, as evidenced by sessions at two recent AHIP conferences. Multiple speakers discussed various approaches to the agents, as well as challenges payers need to tackle, but all acknowledged that a truly successful model has yet to be implemented.

Many CGTs are in the pipeline, impacting potentially millions of patients and prompting many questions around affordability and accessibility, stated Sean Dickson, senior vice president of pharmaceutical policy at AHIP, during a session in Baltimore titled “Cell and Gene Therapies: Regulatory Updates and Coverage Policies.” “Oncology is where it will get really interesting,” and these agents will have the greatest impact on Medicare payers.

While home infusion has been an option for patients for decades, the space continues to evolve. Within this landscape, providers must successfully execute the contracting process with PBMs and government and commercial insurers, navigating various pitfalls along the way.

Attorney Jesse Dresser, a partner in law firm Frier Levitt’s life sciences department who heads the firm’s pharmacy practice group and frequently helps pharmacies and pharmacy providers on issues with payers and PBMs, moderated a panel discussion titled “Strategies for Successful Payer and PBM Contracts in Home Infusion” at the National Home Infusion Association’s (NHIA) annual conference, held March 23 through 27 in Austin, Texas.

Fresenius Kabi AG launched Tyenne (tocilizumab-aazg), the first biosimilar of Roche Group member Genentech USA, Inc.’s Actemra (tocilizumab) to become available in the U.S., the company revealed April 15. The FDA approved the interleukin-6 inhibitor on March 5 in both intravenous and subcutaneous formulations, making it the only Actemra biosimilar approved so far in both. On Sept. 29, 2023, the FDA approved Bio-Thera and Biogen Inc.’s Tofidence (tocilizumab-bavi) as an intravenous formulation only. Fresenius says Tyenne is available now in an intravenous formulation only. The agents are approved for several autoimmune conditions.

Sandoz reached an agreement with Amgen Inc. resolving all patent litigation related to denosumab, Sandoz revealed April 30. The FDA approved Sandoz’s Jubbonti (denosumab-bbdz) and Wyost (denosumab-bbdz) on March 5 as biosimilar to and interchangeable with Amgen’s Prolia (denosumab) and Xgeva (denosumab) for all of their indications. They are the first FDA-approved denosumab biosimilars. The agreement will allow the agents to launch on May 31, 2025, or earlier “under certain circumstances if customary acceleration provisions are triggered.”

After first gaining approval more than a decade ago, Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.’s Iclusig (ponatinib) recently gained approval for the frontline treatment of an aggressive blood cancer. One clinical trial found that people on the agent experienced complete remission more than twice as often as those on a comparator therapy. Industry sources point to the drug’s clinical efficacy as a significant development in the treatment of the disease.

On March 19, the FDA gave accelerated approval to Iclusig in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of adults with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL). The newest application had priority review and orphan drug designation, and its review used the Real-Time Oncology Review and the Assessment Aid.

Amgen Inc. will discontinue the Repatha (evolocumab) Pushtronex system, an on-body infusor, on June 30, the company said April 12. Certain patients, however, may need to remain on that system, and the manufacturer says it will maintain inventory of it to meet their needs.

In addition to the 420 mg/3.5 mL single-dose Pushtronex, Repatha is available as a 140 mg/mL single-dose SureClick autoinjector and a 140 mg/mL single-dose prefilled syringe. The company is urging users to transition to the SureClick because it plans to discontinue the prefilled syringe in mid-2025.