Harvoni sales and marketing update

Express Scripts said it will expand the formulary of its Hepatitis Cure Value Program to include Gilead’s Harvoni ledipasvir/sofosbuvir. As part of an HCV pricing war, Harvoni had been kept out in favor of exclusive access for Viekira Pak ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir from AbbVie Inc. (NASDAQ:ABBV, Chicago, Ill.). Express Scripts will offer both Harvoni and Viekira Pak on its National Preferred Formulary as well. It said its price negotiations for the drugs have lowered HCV treatments' costs by "nearly 50%" since the value program's launch. The company declined to disclose the size of the discounts.

The PBM said it will also add medicines and diseases to its indication-based pricing model for cancer drugs. The program will now include multiple myeloma. It already covers non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), prostate cancer and renal cell carcinoma. Spokesperson Jennifer Luddy declined to disclose the medications covered under the program. The program offers drug prices that vary based on efficacy and guarantees refunds for early discontinuation. When it launched the oncology care value program last year, Express Scripts said it would expand the pilot program in cancer into new disease areas if it met success metrics, such as the ability to deliver prescriptions to patients efficiently without interruption or delays. The value care programs are among several new payer strategies to control costs. The changes go into effect Jan. 1...