CVS Caremark, the pharmaceutical subsidiary of CVS Health, announced Wednesday it will replace AbbVie’s Humira from its list of covered drugs with cheaper alternatives for some customers—a move that’s sure to take a chunk out of eye-popping Humira sales that have generated hundreds of billions for AbbVie.
Packaging for AbbVie's drug, Humira, is photographed in Houston on July 18, 2014. (AP Photo/David J. ... [+]
CVS said in a statement that Humira will be removed from its list of covered drugs effective April 1, when biosimilars—near-identical forms of a biologic medicine—will be covered for customers.
CVS Caremark clients will save more than 50% compared to 2022, when Humira had no biosimilar competition, the statement said.
Employers or health plans that want to maintain access to Humira will be able to keep it in their lists, according to the statement, which also added that CVS subsidiary Cordavis will also sell a different version of Humira in the second quarter, though the option won’t be preferred on commercial drug plans under CVS.
CVS Caremark members transitioning to a biosimilar will be notified 60 days in advance of the change and won’t need to obtain a new prior authorization review for the transition.
$200 billion. That’s how much Humira has netted in global sales, according to the Los Angeles Times, which noted the massive number was contributed to by a high-priced exclusivity the drug has had in the U.S. for 20 years before biosimilars came into the picture.
“AbbVie anticipated and previously communicated our expectation that some payers would make formulary adjustments as additional biosimilars entered the marketplace,” an AbbVie spokesperson told Forbes. “HUMIRA remains widely available for patients alongside other adalimumab treatment options.”
Humira raked in nearly $21 billion in annual sales at its peak. However, with the introduction of biosimilars, sales of the drug are expected to drop to around $9 billion this year, according to Bloomberg. Biosimilars for Humira also act as injectable treatments for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune diseases. Humira has a list price of nearly $7,000 a month, a cost that countries like have sought to avoid with the transition of Humira patients to cheaper biosimilars, the Los Angeles Times reported, adding that Kaiser Permanente switched most of its patients to biosimilars in February and expected to save $300 million from making the move.
CVS to Replace AbbVie’s Blockbuster Humira With Cheaper Rivals (Bloomberg)
CVS Caremark accelerates biosimilars adoption through formulary changes (PR Newswire)