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Merck Seeing Gains for Renflexis at VA
Merck’s infliximab biosimilar, sold as Renflexis and approved by the FDA in April of last year, was determined to be the lowest priced infliximab option available to the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and was awarded a national contract. Subsequently, it has become the sole infliximab product available on the VA's National Formulary.
Yesterday, Merck announced that it was pleased with the decision of the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to adopt biosimilar medicines “as a means of increasing biologic medicine options for Veterans.”
Merck’s infliximab biosimilar, sold as Renflexis and approved by the FDA in April of last year, was determined to be the lowest priced infliximab option available to the VA, and was awarded a national contract. Subsequently, it has become the sole infliximab product available on the VA National Formulary.
Click here to read more about implementing biosimilars in health systems.
“VA recognizes the value biosimilars bring to the healthcare system, and the award of this contract is consistent with VA’s goal of providing quality treatment options while optimizing resources in the care of Veterans,” said Michael Valentino, MD, chief consultant for pharmacy benefits management.
Renflexis is indicated to treat Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and plaque psoriasis in the United States. It has seen far less uptake than its fellow infliximab biosimilar, Inflectra, in the US market since its commercial launch, however.
The formulary update is the latest in good news for Merck’s biosimilar infliximab, as earlier this year, Canadian province British Columbia announced that it will reimburse for Renflexis under its public drug plan.
Like the reference infliximab, Remicade, and another infliximab biosimilar in British Columbia, Inflectra, Renflexis was classified as a Limited Coverage Drug, which means that it will not generally be considered as a first-line therapy.
The announcement followed a previous recommendation from the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health that stated the biosimilar be reimbursed for patients for whom infliximab is the most appropriate treatment option.
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.
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.
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.
BioRationality—The Missing Rationality in Biosimilar Discussions and the Path Forward
September 23rd 2024The article by Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, critiques the irrationality surrounding biosimilars, suggesting that regulatory changes and cost reductions in manufacturing could make biosimilars as affordable as generic drugs.
