Celltrion Healthcare's Avastin biosimilar Vegzelma (bevacizumab) for the treatment of metastatic colorectal and breast cancer continues to make formulary gains and drive prescription expansion in the United States, the world's largest pharmaceutical market.
Celltrion Healthcare said Vegzelma was recently listed as a preferred drug on a formulary managed by Ventegra.
The company emphasized that the agreement further solidifies Vegzelma's presence in the U.S., with coverage for Ventegra's nearly 13 million members.
Ventegra is one of the leading Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) in the U.S. and is responsible for the reimbursement of prescription drugs as well as drugs that must be administered by healthcare professionals.
Celltrion Healthcare's addition of Begselma to the Ventegra-managed public and private health plan formularies comes nearly two months after the company signed an agreement in September to list Yuflyma (adalimumab) as a preferred drug, marking a significant milestone for both products in the U.S. direct-to-consumer market.
"Ventegra's innovative healthcare business model has proven to be superior to traditional insurance systems in building efficiencies, reducing costs, and improving overall healthcare quality," said Robert T. Taketomo, CEO of Ventegra. "The addition of Yuflyma and now Vegzelma to the Ventegra formulary will further improve access to care for patients."
"We look forward to reaching more communities through our partnership with Celltrion Healthcare, and in the long run, providing comprehensive and affordable healthcare that improves the health of patients and contributes to healthier communities," he added.
"The addition of Ventegra to the U.S. formulary marks another important milestone in our efforts to improve access to care for U.S. patients living with cancer," said Thomas Nusbickel, Chief Commercial Officer of Celltrion Healthcare. "We are committed to continuing to expand the availability of biologics with proven efficacy and safety in the U.S. so that patients, health plans and the entire system can benefit."
