GoodRx is joining forces with drugmaker Boehringer Ingelheim to make its Humira biosimilar adalimumab available at an affordable price.
The pharmaceutical company will offer citrate-free adalimumab-adbm at a cash price available only on GoodRx, according to an announcement. This will allow anyone with a prescription to obtain the drug at one of 70,000 pharmacies nationwide, even if they're uninsured.
Beginning on July 18, Boehringer and GoodRx will offer high-concentration and low-concentration formulas of the drug in auto-injectors or pre-filled syringes at a price of $550 per two pack. The companies said that this is a 92% discount compared to a Humira prescription.
"For over a decade, GoodRx has been working to help reduce the costs of medications for patients, and we recognize the critical need for ensuring biosimilars are affordable to all," said Dorothy Gemmell, Chief Commercial Officer at GoodRx, in the press release. "We're excited to leverage the reach and scale of the GoodRx platform to help address this access gap and make Adalimumab-adbm more accessible to patients."
Adalimumab-adbm is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for interchangeable use with Humira. Biosimilar products like this are viewed as critical tools to drive down the cost of prominent, pricey branded pharmaceuticals, with Humira specifically seen as a golden goose for biosimilar competition.
However, uptake has been notably slow. Multiple major pharmacy benefit managers have also rolled out programs to make it easier for people to access these products.
"Patients with certain chronic inflammatory diseases who do not have insurance or are underinsured may not be able to afford essential biologic medicines, including biosimilars, to treat their disease," said Chris Marsh, senior vice president of value and access at Boehringer Ingelheim. "Partnering with GoodRx to offer our biosimilar Adalimumab-adbm at a low price to these patients helps us deliver on our commitment to lowering financial barriers and improving access to critical treatments."