Xarelto Is the Least Costly Novel Anticoagulant, AIS Researchers Find
Washington, DC (PRWEB) January 27, 2015 -- Xarelto, a novel oral anticoagulant manufactured by BayerHealthcare AG and Johnson & Johnson division Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., has the lowest retail cost when compared with two of its major competitors, according a random sampling conducted by the editors of Atlantic Information Services, Inc.’s (AIS) Rx Benefit Design Data (RxB), a new online subscription database with detailed data, news and insight on prescription drug benefit parameters of health plans. Xarelto’s low price translates into the lowest out-of-pocket costs to members, in a drug class in which costs have been rising for both payers and members.
In the small sample of commercial plans analyzed by RxB editors, Xarelto was most likely to be on the Preferred formulary tier, and Pradaxa, manufactured by Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH and the next least expensive oral anticoagulant, was most likely to be on the Non-Preferred tier, with 23% of plans requiring prior authorization. None of the sampled plans required prior authorization for Eliquis, manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, the most expensive of the three drugs.
Xarelto “has the most favorable formulary position and strongest access of any of the novel oral anticoagulants,” said Janssen spokesperson Kristina Chang said in a statement. “It is broadly reimbursed with 95% of patients on Medicare Part D and more than 93% of commercial patients covered at the lowest branded co-pay.” Janssen also offers a variety of access and affordability programs for Xarelto, Chang said, including a 30-day free trial voucher and a copay savings card that gives eligible patients the drug free for a year.
Pradaxa, the next least expensive drug, “actually has leading formulary access at the lowest branded copay both in commercial and Medicare Part D,” Jeff Huth, senior vice president of managed markets for Boehringer told RxB. “In the context of insurance and drug benefits, Pradaxa is very well-positioned, and it was very quickly after launch because payers clearly saw the benefits in terms of medical cost offsets to help offset the increased pharmacy spend. So when it comes to increased copay, from an insurance point of view, Pradaxa is situated very well.”
To read the data sample, visit http://aishealthdata.com/rxb-data-sample-amid-rising-nvaf-drug-costs-xarelto-least-costly. For more information and to use a fully interactive demo of the product, including access to the data used to generate this analysis, visit http://www.AISHealthData.com/RxB.
About Atlantic Information Services
Atlantic Information Services, Inc. (AIS) is a publishing and information company that has been serving the health care industry for more than 25 years. It develops highly targeted news, data and strategic information for managers in hospitals, health plans, medical group practices, pharmaceutical companies and other health care organizations. AIS products include print and electronic newsletters, websites, looseleafs, books, strategic reports, databases, webinars and conferences. Learn more at http://AISHealth.com.
Susan Namovicz-Peat, Director, Directories and Databases Division, Atlantic Information Services, http://www.aishealthdata.com, +1 (202) 775-9008 Ext: 3045, [email protected]
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