CVS Health (CVS) announced changes to its commercial formularies on Thursday to add biosimilars targeting bone disease therapies Prolia and Forteo, marketed by Amgen (AMGN) and Eli Lilly (LLY), in place of the branded medications.
The company stated that low-cost alternatives manufactured by its biosimilar unit Cordavis and companies such as Celltrion (CONI.F) will be more than 50% cheaper than the brand-name treatments, which are approved in the U.S. for osteoporosis.
Key U.S. patents for Forteo and Prolia expired in 2019 and 2025, respectively.
The managed care giant added that its formulary changes, favoring biosimilar adoption, have helped generate $1.5B in gross savings for its customers and patients.
The changes will be implemented by CVS’s (CVS) pharmacy benefit manager, CVS Caremark, effective April 1, “giving customers and their members more affordable options with strong clinical and supply confidence,” the company said.
