May 5 (Reuters) – CVS Health said on Tuesday it would prefer lower-cost, interchangeable biosimilars over Johnson & Johnson’s psoriasis drug Stelara in its most common drug lists starting July 1.
• The company’s pharmacy benefit management unit, Caremark, will transition to biosimilar versions of Stelara, such as Sandoz’s Pyzchiva and Biocon Biologics’ Yesintek. Most members will pay $0 out-of-pocket for their therapy.
• Johnson & Johnson did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
• “Expanding adoption of FDA‑approved biosimilars allows us to deliver significant savings for clients while supporting broader, more affordable access to proven therapies,” said Joshua Fredell, senior vice president at CVS Health.
• Unlike cheap generic versions of simple-to-manufacture pills, medicines made from living cells cannot be exactly copied, so are referred to as biosimilars.
• Caremark is expanding biosimilar coverage across select specialty categories including treatments for multiple sclerosis and rare blood disorders.
• A formulary is a list of prescription medications available under a health plan, managed with the support of a pharmacy benefit manager, which act as middlemen for employers and health plans.
(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
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