Major California Health Plan Negotiates Deal for Humira with Manufacturer

On October 1, 2024, Blue Shield of California announced that it struck an unusual deal with drug manufacturer Fresenius Kabi and Evio Pharmacy Solutions to buy a lower-cost version of Humira, a drug used to treat inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis, directly from the manufacturer. The deal bypasses the major pharmacy benefit managers that normally act as an intermediary between health plans and drug manufacturers. As a result of this deal, Blue Shield of California expects that, “[s]tarting January 1, 2025, most Blue Shield commercial members using Fresenius Kabi’s adalimumab-aacf will pay $0 out of pocket.”