Boehringer partners with Cigna unit to push Humira biosimilar after slow launch
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Source: FiercePharma
News of the Boehringer agreement comes two weeks after Quallent struck a similar deal with Alvotech.
Boehringer Ingelheim has enlisted support for its attempt to prise AbbVie’s fingers off the Humira money faucet, signing an agreement to provide Cigna’s private label distributor with biosimilar copies of the aging blockbuster.
Germany’s Boehringer appeared well-placed to challenge AbbVie when it became the first company to win FDA approval of an interchangeable Humira biosimilar.
The company went on to launch a branded biosimilar, Cyltezo, at a 5% discount and an unbranded version at an 81% markdown. But the launch got off to a lackluster start, leading Boehringer to switch to a hybrid marketing model last month.
Now, the drugmaker has unveiled an agreement with Quallent Pharmaceuticals, a wholly-owned Cigna subsidiary. Boehringer will provide the private label distributor with citrate-free adalimumab-adbm while continuing to commercialize both Cyltezo and its unbranded Humira biosimilar copy.
Chris Marsh, senior vice president of value and access at Boehringer, said in a statement the deal will “increase availability of our adalimumab biosimilar for patients living with certain chronic inflammatory diseases.” Quallent plans to offer a copay assistance program.
Cigna CEO David Cordani discussed the strategy on an earnings call in early May, telling investors “we have agreements in place with multiple manufacturers who will produce biosimilars ... [that] will be priced at about 85% lower than Humira.” All Cigna’s pharmacy benefit service clients and patients will have access to the biosimilars.
News of the Boehringer agreement comes two weeks after Quallent struck a similar deal with Alvotech. Under the terms of that deal, Alvotech will make its high-concentration interchangeable biosimilar Humira for Quallent. Alvotech, which won a delayed approval in February, is also partnered with Teva. The back-to-back deals position Quallent to provide both high- and low-concentration Humira copies.
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