With an eye on reducing spending and improving care among members with hemophilia, Highmark Inc. will launch a comprehensive program focused on the condition on Jan. 1. The health plan will partner exclusively with three companies — Option Care Health, Inc., Soleo Health and the Hemophilia Center of Western Pennsylvania — on the initiative, which has the potential to improve member care, reduce costs and cut down on fraud, waste and abuse, AIS Health reported.

With an eye on reducing spending and improving care among members with hemophilia, Highmark Inc. will launch a comprehensive program focused on the condition on Jan. 1. The health plan will partner exclusively with three companies — Option Care Health, Inc., Soleo Health and the Hemophilia Center of Western Pennsylvania — on the initiative, which has the potential to improve member care, reduce costs and cut down on fraud, waste and abuse, AIS Health reported.

Highmark chose hemophilia to focus on for a few reasons, says Sean Burke, manager of specialty pharmacy services at the plan. “We have a pretty comparatively high population” of people with hemophilia, and “clients were coming to us” for effective management strategies. New therapies — as well as a crowded pipeline — mean there is “a big opportunity to potentially save money.”

Of Highmark’s 4.5 million members, approximately 190 have a hemophilia diagnosis, and the health plan says it spends about $80 million annually on their care, with pharmacy costs making up about 90% of that.

The partners will be able to obtain the therapies at competitive rates, in large part because they “have more volume,” says Ned Finn, director of specialty pharmacy services at the insurer.

Highmark and the providers have performance guarantees and oversight protocols in place. Plan members not only will receive better care, but members and health plan clients will see potential cost savings of “15% or so,” says Burke.

“There are a number of guarantees,” Drew Walk, Soleo’s CEO, says, that are “focused on reducing waste and overall cost of care,” as well as “improving patient outcomes.…There are clinical and financial outcomes measurements.” Hemophilia is a “unique” condition which requires “monitoring individual patient response,” he notes. The key, he maintains, is to “not be too obtrusive” in management but to “intervene when necessary and provide a good patient experience. It’s more than just dispensing the product.”

If a product experiences a shortage or goes off the market temporarily, “we have direct lines of communication with the providers” to handle the situation, says Burke. “These pharmacies are very experienced with knowing how to handle this.”

New oral medications for acute migraine — one pending launch and two more that could be approved in the coming months — likely won’t shake up formulary coverage for a condition that’s largely treated by generic triptan medications, pharmacy benefit experts tell AIS Health.

New oral medications for acute migraine — one pending launch and two more that could be approved in the coming months — likely won’t shake up formulary coverage for a condition that’s largely treated by generic triptan medications, pharmacy benefit experts tell AIS Health.

Eli Lilly and Co. on Oct. 11 received FDA approval for its drug Reyvow (lasmiditan), an oral medication that’s the first serotonin (5-HT)1F receptor agonist to be approved for migraine. Meanwhile, Allergan on Nov. 19 said it’s on track for December FDA consideration of ubrogepant, an oral CGRP receptor antagonist for acute migraine. Biohaven Pharmaceuticals also has applied for FDA approval on its oral CGRP antagonist rimegepant.

Mesfin Tegenu, R.Ph., president of PerformRx, doesn’t expect widespread uptake of Reyvow. “The launch of lasmiditan will likely not change the formulary status quo when it hits the market, as it most likely will become a niche medication for patients inadequately controlled on triptans, or for those who cannot take triptans,” Tegenu tells AIS Health. “This is primarily due to warnings on the label for driving impairment and central nervous system depression.”

PBMs could have the chance to consider how to handle Reyvow and ubrogepant soon, although it’s not clear how soon. Eli Lilly hasn’t yet set a launch date for Reyvow, while Allergan said it expects ubrogepant to be the first approved oral CGRP receptor antagonist for the acute treatment of migraine.

“As with any new product, [ubrogepant] will need to be analyzed as part of the class of drugs for this indication,” Tegenu says. “Since this is the first oral version of a CGRP antagonist, it does have some administration advantages over injectable products.”

Payers can implement utilization management programs that direct use of these new drugs to those who have failed or cannot tolerate triptans, says Nicole Kjesbo, principal clinical program pharmacist with Prime Therapeutics LLC. “Additionally, payers will consider exclusion strategies and potentially value-based contracts as a means to manage cost and appropriate therapy,” she says.