AVENTURA, Fla., Dec. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Abarca, a
pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) that is disrupting the industry with
an entirely new approach to technology and business practices,
today announced it has entered into an outcomes-based contract with
Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN) for the drug Enbrel® (etanercept).
Under the agreement, Amgen will issue rebates to Abarca's clients
for eligible members who discontinue the use of the drug after
three months of treatment. This applies to members of commercial
health plans who are using the drug for the treatment of moderate
to severe rheumatoid arthritis.
"This is a win for all parties," said Jason Borschow, president and CEO of Abarca. "It
will provide Amgen valuable information about how
Enbrel® is utilized, it will lower costs for plans, and
it will bring additional benefits to our healthcare
system."
Drugs that treat auto-immune conditions are the fastest-growing
segment for commercial health plans. Enbrel® is a
biologic medicine used to treat five inflammatory conditions and is
one of the most highly utilized specialty drugs for this
market.
Outcome-based agreements have been a hot topic in the healthcare
industry for several years. However, because most PBMs do not have
the technology in place to track and report when a member
discontinues a drug, relatively few have been implemented. The
agreement announced today was made possible by Darwin,
Abarca's smarter PBM platform, which tracks utilization in
real-time and generates the detailed information drug makers need
to issue a rebate.
This is the second outcome-based between Abarca and Amgen. In
2018, the companies entered into an arrangement for
Repatha--the first agreement of its kind involving this
drug. That same year, Abarca announced an
outcomes-based contract with Biogen for medications used
to treat multiple sclerosis.
"Amgen has been a great partner," continued Borschow. "Their
dedication to learning about how patients interact with their
medications is admirable, and we are looking forward to continuing
to work together to find new approaches to serve our clients and
members."
Abarca is currently collaborating with several drug
manufacturers for similar agreements. To learn more,
visit abarcahealth.com.
About Abarca
Abarca is igniting a revolution in
healthcare. It started by redefining pharmacy benefits, but this is
just the beginning. It is built on the belief that there is a
better way for people and companies to work together, connect with
each other, and make healthcare awesome for everyone. With smarter
technology and a straightforward approach to business, Abarca
provides a much better experience and higher value for payers and
consumers. For nearly a decade, they have challenged many industry
conventions and trampled on a few. So, call them a PBM for
discussion purposes, but they are unlike any other company out
there. Join the revolution at abarcahealth.com.
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SOURCE Abarca