Pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts and Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc, have announced that they will expand their group purchasing efforts to include specialty drugs, including biologics and biosimilars.
Pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts and Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc, have announced that they will expand their group purchasing efforts to include specialty drugs, including biologics and biosimilars. The companies will use ValoremRx Specialty Solutions to source specialty drugs, which the companies say will simplify the supply chain and lead to lower drug costs.
“Specialty medications represent the most costly and complex drugs. By expanding our efforts with Walgreens Boots Alliance, we will improve our supply chain and ultimately make the use of these medicines, including biosimilars, more affordable and accessible for our patients and clients,” said Express Scripts president and CEO Tim Wentworth in a statement.
Walgreens Boots Alliance’s Co-COO, Alex Gourlay, added, “As prescription drug needs evolve and specialty medications are prescribed more often, we continue to look for new solutions that will help our patients get the medications they need at an affordable price.”
Specialty medicines have been a growing concern for Express Scripts, which in 2017 released a report that said that 0.3% of Express Scripts members accounted for 21.3% of total pharmacy costs and that the number of members who had annual medication costs of $50,000 or more in 2016 was 35% higher than in 2014. Among those with $50,000 or more in prescription drug costs in 2016, more than 25% of costs were for specialty drugs with oncology indications, followed by those treating multiple sclerosis, inflammatory conditions, and hepatitis C.
The PBM has said that using biosimilars of bevacizumab, epoetin alfa, trastuzumab, adalimumab, interferon alfa-2a, pegfilgrastim, peginterferon alfa-2b, rituximab, infliximab, and filgrastim could potentially save $250 billion. In its 2018 preferred national formulary, Express Scripts has since signaled a push toward biosimilars, namely in excluding the name-brand Neupogen (filgrastim) in favor of the follow-on Granix or the biosimilar Zarxio.
Eye on Pharma: Aflibercept Legal Drama; PBM, Humira Biosimilars; Denosumab Regulatory Review
October 15th 2024Regeneron appeals legal decision after judge refuses to block an aflibercept biosimilar; Prime Therapeutics, a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), becomes the latest to offer biosimilars referencing Humira (adalimumab) at a low cost; the FDA and European Medicines Agency accept a denosumab biosimilar candidate for review.
Biosimilars in America: Overcoming Barriers and Maximizing Impact
July 21st 2024Join us as we explore the complexities of the US biosimilars market, discussing legislative influences, payer and provider adoption factors, and strategies to overcome industry challenges with expert insights from Kyle Noonan, PharmD, MS, value & access strategy manager at Cencora.
Sandoz Report: A Unified Approach to Overcoming Drug Shortages
October 10th 2024A report from Sandoz emphasizes the need for collaboration among stakeholders to eliminate drug shortages impacting over 90% of hospital systems in the US, recommending policy changes and actions to address the ongoing issue, which has caused treatment delays and increased costs.
Exploring the Biosimilar Horizon: Julie Reed's Predictions for 2024
February 18th 2024On this episode of Not So Different, Julie Reed, executive director of the Biosimilars Forum, returns to discuss her predictions for the biosimilar industry for 2024 and beyond as well as the impact that the Forum's 4 new members will have on the organization's mission.
Eye on Pharma: EC Approved Ustekinumab; Zymfentra Expansion; Biosimilar Policy Briefing
September 26th 2024The European Commission (EC) approved Celltrion's ustekinumab biosimilar for chronic inflammatory diseases, Celltrion expanded access to Zymfentra (subcutaneous infliximab-dyyb) through partnerships with Cigna and Express Scripts, and the Association for Accessible Medicines held a policy briefing addressing barriers to biosimilar adoption.
AAM Report: Despite Massive Savings, Patient OOP Costs on Biosimilars, Generics Remain High, Part 2
September 24th 2024Part 2 of our series diving into the Association for Accessible Medicines' (AAM) latest report discusses that while generics and biosimilars saved $445 billion in 2023, their potential is hindered by high patient costs, drug shortages, and ineffective policies, underscoring the need for reforms to fully realize their benefits.