TrumpRx unveiled the first 43 products listed as available through this direct-to-consumer (DTC) clearinghouse site, and one biosimilar is offered, at a discount of more than $300 per dose.
Pfizer’s Abrilada is being offered through TrumpRx at a price of $207.60 per 40 mg/0.8 mL prefilled pen. The prefilled syringe version is $415.20 (for a 2 pack). This represents a 60% discount off its present low-WAC price of $519, and is 46% below the lowest recorded low-WAC price of any of the adalimumab biosimilars available (Idacio), as reported by the Samsung Bioepis Biosimilar Market Report.
Pfizer’s Abrilada is only available in one low-concentration adalimumab formula, whereas the majority of the competitive biosimilars have the widely used high-concentration formulation. Furthermore, the TrumpRx site only lists one dosage of its prefilled syringe and pen, whereas the drug is available in other doses via the prefilled syringe. Abrilada does utilize the preferred citrate-free formula.
Based on IQVIA data utilized by Samsung Bioepis, Pfizer’s share of the adalimumab market is less than 2%, and thus the company may believe that it had little to lose with this DTC pricing. Cash-paying patients will comprise a very narrow share of adalimumab purchases.
With the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) settlement with Express Scripts, reported this week, the FTC ordered the PBM to make TrumpRx accessible to insured patients as well. Since insured patients (outside of an initial deductible) will generally pay considerably less than $200 per dose out-of-pocket, and to this date a cash DTC transaction does not contribute to the patient’s deductible, this will likely remain an access point for uninsured patients who can afford the DTC price.
TrumpRx will likely add other biosimilars or biologics to its list of available products in the future. However, until the mechanism is worked out to include these DTC transactions into the plan’s or PBM’s electronic systems, this access channel will remain limited for biologic agents.
This article was written by our Director of Content, Stanton Mehr. Stan is has been writing commentary and reporting news about the biosimilar industry since the submission of the first biosimilar 351(k) application to the FDA 13 years ago. Since that time, BR&R has been tracking the US biosimilar marketplace, with the industry’s original, comprehensive and updated database of biosimilar filings with the FDA.
