CVS Health Corp. is embracing new less costly biosimilars for biotech medicines in an attempt to combat rising prescription drug costs. The changes go into effect Jan. 1, 2017 with branded biotech drugs removed from coverage.
The U.S. pharmacy benefit manager will drop Sanofi's main insulin drug Lantus from its list of reimbursed drugs, and instead switch to to Eli Lilly's cheaper biosimilar drug, Basaglar. CVS also said it will no longer reimburse Toujeo, Sanofi's next-generation diabetes drug.
Amgen's Neupogen, which helps to prevent infections related to cancer treatment, will also be dropped from the CVS list of covered meds. Instead, CVS will put the biosimilar Zarxio, made by Novartis' Sandoz unit, on the formulary.
Read more at The Wall Street Journal