On 18 July 2024, it was announced that Boehringer Ingelheim (Boehringer) and GoodRx, the leading prescription savings platform in the US, launched a patient affordability initiative. From now on, Boehringer's citrate-free adalimumab-adbm, a biosimilar to Humira (adalimumab), will be available at a 92% discount to the list price of the AbbVie originator drug, exclusively on GoodRx.
This follows the news that in May 2024, Boehringer had entered into an agreement with Quallent Pharmaceuticals, a private label pharmaceutical distributor, to help expand patient access to citrate-free adalimumab-adbm [1]. Under this agreement, Boehringer will supply Quallent with citrate-free adalimumab-adbm while continuing to commercialize both its Boehringer Ingelheim-labelled Cyltezo and the unbranded Humira biosimilar adalimumab-adbm.
With the patient affordability initiative agreement, anyone with a valid prescription, regardless of insurance status, can use GoodRx to purchase adalimumab-adbm at over 70,000 retail pharmacies nationwide.
Prices for both the high- and low-concentration citrate-free formulations of adalimumab-adbm – available in pre-filled syringe (10 mg/0.2 mL, 20 mg/0.4 mL, 40 mg/0.8 mL or 40 mg/0.4 mL) or autoinjector (40 mg/0.8 mL or 40 mg/0.4 mL) – will be set at an exclusive rate of US$550 per 2-pack, reflecting a 92% discount off the list price of Humira. This will help speed up the time to therapy for patients.
Adalimumab is a human monoclonal antibody treats autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic and psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn’s disease, psoriasis and ulcerative colitis [2].
Boehringer’s high-concentration formulation of adalimumab-adbm was approved by FDA in May 2024, whereas the low-concentration formulation has been commercially available since July 2023 [1], although it was approved in 2017 [3].
Despite the influx of adalimumab biosimilars entering the market in 2023, Humira remains on top in the US [1]. A letter published in JAMA in June 2024 revealed that, as of January 2024, Medicare Part D plans almost universally cover both high- and low-concentrations of originator Humira [1]. In contrast, only half of these plans cover adalimumab biosimilars. Cyltezo is covered by just over half of plans. Of the plans that covered both Humiara and its biosimilars, only 1.5% place the biosimilars in a lower tier. This gap in Medicare access to Humira has also been addressed in a recent article by Joshua Cohen [4].
AbbVie’s Humira, priced at nearly US$7,000 a month in the US, is still the first leading drug to face competition from a range of 10 biosimilars of AbbVie's blockbuster arthritis drug [5].
The actions of pharmacy benefit managers such as CVS Caremark, who have now removed the branded reference product from its major national commercial formularies in January 2024, has resulted in increased uptake of biosimilar adalimumab products [6, 7].
Until 30 July 2024, FDA had approved four interchangeable adalimumab biosimilars: Abrilada, Cyltezo, Hyrimoz, and Simlandi [8], further expanding patient access to this treatment.
Related articles
FDA approves interchangeable adalimumab biosimilar Simlandi
CVS’ Cordavis to launch Sandoz’s Hyrimoz (adalimumab)
References
1. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Boehringer Ingelheim to expand access to adalimumab biosimilar [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2024 Sep 10]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/biosimilars/general/boehringer-ingelheim-to-expand-access-to-adalimumab-biosimilar
2. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Biosimilars of adalimumab [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2024 Sep 10]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/biosimilars/general/biosimilars-of-adalimumab
3. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. FDA approves adalimumab biosimilar Cyltezo [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2024 Sep 10]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/biosimilars/news/FDA-approves-adalimumab-biosimilar-Cyltezo
4. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Addressing the persistent gap in Medicare access to Humira biosimilars [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2024 Sep 10]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/biosimilars/general/addressing-the-persistent-gap-in-medicare-access-to-humira-biosimilars
5. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Humira's resilience in the face of biosimilar competition [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2024 Sep 10]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/biosimilars/general/humira-s-resilience-in-the-face-of-biosimilar-competition
6. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Disruption in the US adalimumab market [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2024 Sep 10]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/biosimilars/general/disruption-in-the-us-adalimumab-market
7. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. CVS Caremark removes Humira in the US and Sandoz launches Hyrimoz in Europe [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2024 Sep 10]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/biosimilars/general/cvs-caremark-removes-humira-in-the-us-and-sandoz-launches-hyrimoz-in-europe
8. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Biosimilars approved in the US [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2024 Sep 10]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/biosimilars/general/biosimilars-approved-in-the-us
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