Evernorth announces another step forward in lowering drug prices by making a Stelara biosimilar available at $0 out of pocket for patients early next year

Rhea-AI Summary

Evernorth Health Services has announced plans to offer a Stelara biosimilar at $0 out-of-pocket cost for eligible Accredo patients starting in early 2025. This initiative is expected to save patients an average of $4,000 annually. The biosimilar, produced by Quallent Pharmaceuticals, will be priced over 80% lower than Stelara's list price, offering significant savings for health plan sponsors.

Accredo, Evernorth's specialty pharmacy, currently serves over 30,000 Stelara patients and provides specialized support through its Therapeutic Resource Centers. This move follows Evernorth's successful introduction of a Humira biosimilar in June, which has already seen a 25% adoption rate among eligible patients.

Positive

• Offering Stelara biosimilar at $0 out-of-pocket cost for eligible patients
• Expected patient savings of $4,000 annually on average
• Biosimilar priced over 80% lower than Stelara's list price
• Potential for significant savings for health plan sponsors
• 25% adoption rate of Humira biosimilar among eligible Accredo patients

Negative

• None.

• Estimated to save individual Accredo patients around $4,000 per year
• Biosimilar price will be more than 80% lower than Stelara list price
• Accredo patients benefit from the specialty pharmacy's best-in-class clinical support

BLOOMFIELD, Conn., Sept. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Evernorth Health Services announced that it plans to have a Stelara biosimilar available for $0 out of pocket for eligible patients of its specialty pharmacy, Accredo, beginning in early 2025. The interchangeable biosimilar will be produced for Evernorth's affiliate private label distributor, Quallent Pharmaceuticals. It will be available at $0 out of pocket for most patients through Quallent's copay assistance program. This program is expected to save individual patients around $4,000 on average per year.

"We continue to believe in the power of biosimilars to achieve significant savings for patients and plan sponsors now and into the future. We're already seeing strong interest in the Humira biosimilar made available to Accredo patients in June, and now we're focused on improving affordability and access to another widely used, high-cost treatment for a variety of inflammatory conditions," said Matt Perlberg, president of Evernorth Health Services' pharmacy and care delivery businesses. "We are uniquely positioned to lower costs because of the leading capabilities we have in navigating the supply chain as well as the clinical expertise to help achieve the best patient health outcomes."

The biosimilar price will be more than 80% lower than the list price of Stelara. For many employers, unions, municipalities and other health plan sponsors that choose to work with Accredo as part of their specialty pharmacy network offering, this represents an opportunity for significant savings.

More than 30,000 Accredo patients currently use Stelara, supported by specialty-trained pharmacists and nurses in Accredo's Therapeutic Resource Center for inflammatory conditions. Accredo's 15 condition-specific Therapeutic Resource Centers connect patients with pharmacists and nurses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, helping to ensure patients receive care from clinicians who specialize in their condition and who take the time to understand their circumstances.

In June, Evernorth made an interchangeable Humira biosimilar available, and more than 25% of eligible Accredo patients are now using the biosimilar.

About Evernorth Health Services
Evernorth Health Services creates pharmacy, care and benefits solutions to improve health and increase vitality. We relentlessly innovate to make the prediction, prevention and treatment of illness and disease more accessible to millions of people. Evernorth capabilities are powered by our businesses, including Express Scripts, Express Scripts® Pharmacy, Accredo, eviCore and MDLIVE, along with holistic Evernorth platforms and solutions that move people and organizations forward. All Evernorth solutions are serviced and provided by or through operating affiliates of Evernorth Health, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI), or third-party partners. Learn more at evernorth.com.

Media Contact:
Justine Sessions
Justine.Sessions@evernorth.com
860-810-6523

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SOURCE Evernorth Health Services

FAQ

When will Evernorth make the Stelara biosimilar available for $0 out-of-pocket?

Evernorth plans to make the Stelara biosimilar available for $0 out-of-pocket for eligible Accredo patients beginning in early 2025.

How much can patients save annually with the Stelara biosimilar offered by Evernorth?

Evernorth estimates that individual patients can save around $4,000 on average per year with the Stelara biosimilar.

What is the price difference between the Stelara biosimilar and the original Stelara?

The Stelara biosimilar price will be more than 80% lower than the list price of Stelara.

How many Accredo patients currently use Stelara?

More than 30,000 Accredo patients currently use Stelara.

What percentage of eligible Accredo patients are using the Humira biosimilar introduced in June?

More than 25% of eligible Accredo patients are now using the Humira biosimilar introduced in June.