Cigna Pharmacy to list adalimumab biosimilars at same price point as originator
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Cigna Pharmacy announced that it will add adalimumab biosimilars as “preferred products” at the same price level as the originator Humira on its commercial formularies, according to a company press release.
“Biosimilars hold tremendous promise to improve the affordability of life-changing specialty medications, and this is part of our work to expand access to them and achieve lower costs for the employers and members we serve,” Katy Wong, chief pharmacy officer at Cigna Pharmacy, said in a press release. “By placing biosimilars on our formularies in the same position as Humira, we’re also ensuring that physicians and patients have choice and flexibility as they assess these additional biosimilar therapies.”
At least seven FDA-approved adalimumab (Humira, AbbVie) biosimilars will make their way to the U.S. marketplace for the first time in 2023, after years of patent litigation between AbbVie and multiple biosimilar manufacturers.
First will be Amgen’s Amjevita (adalimumab-atto), with a settlement-enforced launch date of no earlier than Jan. 31. Then will come Hadlima (adalimumab-bwwd, Organon), no earlier than June 30; Cyltezo (adalimumab-adbm, Boehringer Ingelheim) and Yusimry (adalimumab-aqvh, Coherus), both starting on July 1; Hulio (adalimumab-fkjp, Mylan), no earlier than July 31; Hyrimoz (adalimumab-adaz, Novartis Sandoz), starting on Sept. 30; and Abrilada (adalimumab-afzb, Pfizer), no earlier than Nov. 23.
Three other companies have inked deals with AbbVie to allow the U.S. release of their own biosimilars in 2023 pending FDA approval. These are Fresenius Kabi, which expects to release its adalimumab biosimilar in July 2023; Celltrion, which is eyeing July for its Yuflyma (CT-P17); and Alvotech/Teva, which will be able to legally release AVT02 on July 1 following FDA approval.
As more biosimilars are approved and brought to market, patients and providers are presented with more options for their therapies, according to the statement from Cigna.
“Cigna integrated clients that utilize Cigna Pharmacy for their pharmacy benefits are expected to achieve significant savings as biosimilars like these are added to formularies,” the pharmacy benefit manager said in the release.
However, not all rheumatologists are convinced that the new listing arrangements will have a strong impact for patients and providers.
“As we know, on the pharmacy side, there are no sales prices — only highest price concession,” Madelaine A. Feldman, MD, FACR, vice president of advocacy and government affairs at the Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations, and founder and past president of the Rheumatology Alliance of Louisiana, told Healio. “Consequently, it could be the highest ‘price’ adalimumab that is the so-called lowest-net-cost drug.
“If that is the case, then nothing has changed as far as actually lowering prices,” she added.
According to Feldman, this would be in line with other recent biosimilar pricing practices. She added that she has little confidence that the situation with adalimumab’s biosimilars will be any different.
“If ‘list’ prices do come down for adalimumab, I would be very happy,” Feldman said. “But the first two insulin biosimilars for Lantus (insulin glargine, Sanofi) were released by the same company and they were exactly the same drug, except that one was high priced and one was low-priced. Only the high-priced one was put on commercial formularies.”
Editor's note: On Jan. 18, 2023, this article was updated to accurately reflect the projected release date of Fresenius Kabi's adalimumab biosimilar
Collapse
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts