The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has decided drugs covered under Medicare part B may be subject to step therapy, if so desired by Medicare Advantage plans. UnitedHealthcare has become the first to publicly implement step therapy policies for these drugs. However, biosimilar step therapy is not the typical utilization management tool that … Continue reading Biosimilar Step Therapy for Medicare Part B: Does This Make Sense?
Tag: Fresenius
Fresenius Kabi and Celltrion Get Good News
A German manufacturer is considering its options after the successful completion of two clinical studies involving a pegfilgrastim biosimilar (MSB11455). Fresenius Kabi, which completed its purchase of the biosimilar business from Merck KGaA in September 2017, announced its investigational biosimilar agent had proved sufficiently similar to the reference product Neulasta® in these phase 1 investigations … Continue reading Fresenius Kabi and Celltrion Get Good News
Convincing Two Main Providers the Key to Pfizer’s Retacrit® Success
An unusual market situation awaits Pfizer’s new biosimilar epoetin, one that few approved medications has to face. Not only does Retacrit® need to pass muster with payers like health plans and insurers, which we assume it will, but Retacrit will need to be accepted by the two 800-pound gorillas of the kidney dialysis field as … Continue reading Convincing Two Main Providers the Key to Pfizer’s Retacrit® Success