Boehringer Ingelheim has announced a partnership with GoodRx to offer a significant cash price discount on citrate-free adalimumab-adbm injection, the company’s biosimilar to Humira. It will be available exclusively through GoodRx at more than 90% off the list price, according to a news release.1
Adalimumab-adbm is used to treat or reduce the signs and symptoms of autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, psoriatic arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. Boehringer’s high-concentration formulation of adalimumab-adbm was approved by the FDA in May 2024, whereas the low-concentration formulation has been commercially available since July 2023.2
Key Takeaways
- Boehringer Ingelheim's adalimumab-adbm, a biosimilar to Humira used for autoimmune diseases, will be available at a 92% discount from the Humira list price through GoodRx.
- High costs often associated with biologics lead to disruptions in treatment. This initiative addresses this concern by making adalimumab-adbm more affordable.
- The collaboration leverages GoodRx's extensive user base and network of pharmacies to make the discounted adalimumab-adbm accessible to a wider range of patients.
The initiative will enable patients with a valid prescription to purchase adalimumab-adbm through GoodRx at over 70,000 pharmacies nationwide, regardless of insurance status. Prices for both the high-concentration and low-concentration citrate-free formulations of adalimumab-adbm as a 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 offered at a 92% discount from the Humira list price; beginning today, the exclusive asking price will be $550 per 2-pack of syringes.1
“Patients with certain chronic inflammatory diseases who do not have insurance or are underinsured may not be able to afford essential biologic medicines, including biosimilars, to treat their disease,” said Chris Marsh, senior vice president of value and access at Boehringer Ingelheim, in the news release.1 “Partnering with GoodRx to offer our biosimilar adalimumab-adbm at a low price to these patients helps us deliver on our commitment to lowering financial barriers and improving access to critical treatments.”
READ MORE: FDA Approves Second Formulation of Humira Biosimilar Cyltezo
Although biologics, such as adalimumab-adbm, make up only 2% of all medications prescribed, they drive nearly half of total pharmaceutical spending in the US.3 The partnership's discount aims to improve access and affordability for these essential drugs.
High costs can significantly impact medication adherence and delay or stop treatment altogether. A 2022 national survey found that nearly 20% of older adults skipped filling prescription medications due to affordability concerns.4 Individual biologic treatments, which can cost up to $30,000 per year,5 highlight the need for solutions to improve prescription drug affordability. The initiative by Boehringer and GoodRx has the potential to accelerate the therapeutic timeline for patients treated with adalimumab-adbm.
What’s more, with over 25 million consumers and 750,000 health care professionals using GoodRx each year, the leading US prescription savings platform will help amplify drug savings.
“For over a decade, GoodRx has been working to help reduce the costs of medications for patients, and we recognize the critical need for ensuring biosimilars are affordable to all,” said Dorothy Gemell, chief commercial officer at GoodRx, in the same release.1 “We’re excited to leverage the reach and scale of the GoodRx platform to help address this access gap and make adalimumab-adbm more accessible to patients.”
READ MORE: Biosimilars Resource Center
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References
2. US FDA approves Boehringer Ingelheim’s high-concentration, citrate-free formulation of Cyltezo (adalimumab-adbm) injection. News release. Boehringer Ingelheim. May 1, 2024. Accessed July 18, 2024. https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/us/fda-approves-additional-formulation-biosimilar
5. Chen BK, Yang YT, Bennett CL. Why biologics and biosimilars remain so expensive: Despite two wins for biosimilars, the Supreme Court's recent rulings do not solve fundamental barriers to competition. Drugs. 2018;78(17):1777-1781. doi:10.1007/s40265-018-1009-0
