PBM Moves Spur Humira Biosimilar Uptake but Raise Questions

The FDA has approved 10 biosimilars of AbbVie Inc.’s Humira (adalimumab), with nine of them launching in the U.S. since last year, but uptake of them has been relatively slow. Recently, though, a formulary change by CVS Health seems to have spurred uptake of the agents, and an upcoming change by The Cigna Group should boost their use again. However, some industry experts question whether those changes were made with an eye on increasing biosimilar access — or boosting their own profits.

On April 25, Evernorth Health Services, a subsidiary of Cigna, revealed that it will have a high- and low-concentration interchangeable Humira biosimilar for zero dollars in out-of-pocket costs for “eligible patients” of its specialty pharmacy, Accredo, starting in June. The product, according to a press release, “will be produced for Evernorth’s affiliate private label pharmaceutical distributor, Quallent Pharmaceuticals, through agreements with multiple manufacturers.”