AstraZeneca inks a value-based agreement with UPMC Health Plan

• The deal links reimbursement for the blood thinner to the cardiovascular outcomes of patients.
   
• Sources familiar with the development claim that patients would be required to pay between USD 7 and USD 10 for a 30-day supply of the drug.

British multinational pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca has reportedly announced to have signed an agreement with UPMC Health Plan which links reimbursement for the blood thinner to the cardiovascular outcomes of patients. As per trusted sources, the said blood thinner is approved to reduce the risk of death or a second cardiac arrest in people who have already had one in the past.

Reportedly, the deal applies to the Medicare plan of the payer. Moreover, it further cuts out-of-pocket expenditure for the members of UPMC by making available Brilinta at generic-like prices. According to a statement released by UPMC Health Plan, which is affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the deal could potentially save its members hundreds of dollars over a year.

SVP of U.S. market access at AstraZeneca, Rick Suarez was reportedly quoted saying that the latest deal is one of its kind and has probably never been seen in the U.S. market. Both the pharmaceutical firm and the insurer come together to deliver on the promise of the medicine as they have shared accountability, Suarez further added.

Sources familiar with the development claim that patients would be required to pay between USD 7 and USD 10 for a 30-day supply of the drug.

For the record, this is not the first value-based deal that has been signed by AstraZeneca for Brilinta, which garnered USD 945 million in sales in the first nine months of 2018. The British drug maker has also struck outcomes-based deals with Harvard Pilgrim for both cardio-metabolic drug Bydureon and Brilinta. Reportedly, Harvard Pilgrim is likely to pay less if the drugs fail to reach the predetermined outcome benchmarks.