SAN JUAN, PR — Abarca, a pharmacy benefit management (PBM) and technology company that serves more than two million lives across the nation, has signed a value-based reimbursement contract with Biogen Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB) for select products in Biogen’s leading multiple sclerosis (MS) portfolio. This first-of-its-kind agreement between the companies offers an innovative approach to connecting outcomes with the effective net cost of the products. The agreement places accountability on Biogen to deliver safety, efficacy, and value for the patients who receive these life-impacting therapies and for the payers who finance them.
“We are excited to partner with Biogen in implementing this innovative, data-driven, and outcomes-based pricing program for MS drug therapies. We believe this program is a significant milestone in our efforts to collaborate with pharmaceutical manufacturers to find a better way to guide patients and payers down the path to value, especially in high impact disease categories,” stated Javier Gonzalez, Chief Operating Officer of Abarca.
This contract builds on Abarca’s ongoing work with Biogen to find better ways to collaborate in the treatment of patients afflicted with complex, high-cost conditions.
“We believe that contracting approaches like this will help expand access for patients. We are excited to work with an innovative partner like Abarca and lead the way for MS care,” said Jean-Paul Kress, Executive Vice President and President, International and Head of Global Therapeutic Operations of Biogen.
Outcomes-based contracting is an important part of the future of healthcare. By partnering with manufacturers such as Biogen, Abarca is ensuring greater accountability around the investments made by payers and patients in high cost treatments, which leads to better access and better outcomes for patients.