Value-based agreement between Prime Therapeutics and Biohaven aims to bring NURTEC™ ODT acute migraine treatment financial protection to health plans

Rhea-AI Summary

Biohaven Pharmaceutical (NYSE: BHVN) recently announced a value-based contract with Prime Therapeutics for its migraine treatment, NURTEC ODT (rimegepant), addressing the needs of the 55% of migraine patients who find current treatments inadequate. The contract aims to protect health plans financially from high usage while ensuring that the medication's price aligns with its value. NURTEC ODT, FDA-approved in February 2020, offers quick relief, with effects felt within an hour, catering to a significant unmet need among nearly 40 million U.S. migraine sufferers.

Positive

• Establishment of a value-based contract with Prime Therapeutics.
• NURTEC ODT offers quick relief from migraine symptoms within one hour.
• Addresses unmet treatment needs for a substantial migraine patient population.

Negative

• None.

EAGAN, Minn., Nov. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Up to 55% of migraine patients do not have sufficient relief with currently available treatments.² NURTEC^™ ODT (rimegepant) can work quickly, returning patients to normal function in as little as one hour.¹ NURTEC ODT's manufacturer, Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd. (NYSE: BHVN), and pharmacy benefit manager Prime Therapeutics LLC (Prime) recently entered into a value-based contract agreement to help ensure that relief truly comes for patients.

The value-based contract seeks to offer Prime's health plan clients financial protection from high member use of the medicine. At the same time, it guards NURTEC ODT's price to value across the varying acute treatment needs of migraine patients.

Gaining U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in February 2020, NURTEC ODT is the first FDA-approved drug from Biohaven. This quick-dissolving tablet is convenient for people suffering from migraine. It can be taken without water and is the first and only calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist available in a quick-dissolve orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) formulation.¹

In February 2020, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) issued a policy recommendation report on acute treatment of migraine. The review of NURTEC ODT and other similar treatments found the price range "helps maximize health overall, because they do not contribute to affordability concerns and loss of insurance."³

"Collaborative manufacturer involvement was imperative for Biohaven and Prime to quickly agree on a value-based agreement," said Kelly McGrail-Pokuta, vice president, trade relations and strategy at Prime. "Adding NURTEC ODT to our portfolio of value-based contracts strengthens Prime's commitment to improving outcomes for patients while lowering the total cost of care."

"We believe NURTEC ODT can deliver relief that people with migraine need to treat their acute attacks and get back to their lives. Ensuring broad patient access is critical. This innovative, outcomes-based agreement with Prime Therapeutics is a key example of our aligned commitment to the patient," said BJ Jones, chief commercial officer of migraine and common diseases at Biohaven. "Prime Therapeutics, a leading national provider of pharmaceutical benefit, is an important partner of ours as we work together to ensure that millions of patients with migraine have access to NURTEC ODT."  

Nearly 40 million people in the U.S. suffer from migraine⁴ and the World Health Organization classifies migraine as one of the 10 most disabling medical illnesses.⁵ Migraine is characterized by debilitating attacks lasting four to 72 hours with multiple symptoms, including pulsating headaches of moderate to severe pain intensity that can be associated with nausea or vomiting, and/or sensitivity to sound (phonophobia) and sensitivity to light (photophobia).⁶ There is a significant unmet need for new acute treatments as more than 90 percent of migraine sufferers are unable to work or function normally during an attack.

1. Biohaven's NURTEC™ ODT (rimegepant) Receives FDA Approval for the Acute Treatment of Migraine in Adults. (2020, February 27). Retrieved October 1, 2020, from https://www.biohavenpharma.com/investors/news-events/press-releases/02-27-2020
2. Lipton RB et al. Headache. 2017;57(7):1026-1040.
3. ICER Issues Final Report and Policy Recommendations on Acute Treatments for Migraine. (2020, February 25). Retrieved October 1, 2020, from https://icer-review.org/announcements/acute_migraine_final_report/
4. Burch R, Rizzoli P, Loder E. The Prevalence and Impact of Migraine and Severe Headache in the United States: Figures and Trends From Government Health Studies. Headache. 2018;58(4):496-505
5. GBD 2016 Headache Collaborators. Global, regional, and national burden of migraine and tension-type headache, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet Neurol 2018;17(11):954-976.
6. Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS). The international classification of headache disorders, 3rd edition. Cephalalgia. 2018;38(1):1–211.

About Prime Therapeutics

Prime Therapeutics LLC (Prime) makes health care work better by helping people get the medicine they need to feel better and live well. Prime provides total drug management solutions for health plans, employers, and government programs including Medicare and Medicaid. The company processes claims and offers clinical services for people with complex medical conditions. Prime serves more than 30 million people. It is collectively owned by 18 Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, subsidiaries or affiliates of those plans. For more information visit www.primetherapeutics.com or follow @Prime_PBM on Twitter.

About Biohaven
Biohaven is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company with a portfolio of innovative, best-in-class therapies to improve the lives of patients with debilitating neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases, including rare disorders. Biohaven's neuroinnovation portfolio includes FDA-approved NURTEC™ ODT (rimegepant) for the acute treatment of migraine and a broad pipeline of late-stage product candidates across three distinct mechanistic platforms: CGRP receptor antagonism for the acute and preventive treatment of migraine; glutamate modulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder, Alzheimer's disease, and spinocerebellar ataxia; and myeloperoxidase (MPO) inhibition for multiple system atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. More information about Biohaven is available at www.biohavenpharma.com.

 

Contact:
Denise Lecher
Public Relations Manager
612.777.5763
denise.lecher@primetherapeutics.com

 

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SOURCE Prime Therapeutics LLC

FAQ

What is the recent agreement between Biohaven and Prime Therapeutics about?

Biohaven and Prime Therapeutics entered a value-based contract aimed at enhancing financial protection for health plans regarding the use of NURTEC ODT.

How does NURTEC ODT benefit migraine patients?

NURTEC ODT provides rapid relief from migraine symptoms, with effects observable in as little as one hour, addressing the needs of patients who do not respond well to existing treatments.

When did NURTEC ODT receive FDA approval?

NURTEC ODT received FDA approval in February 2020.

How many people in the U.S. suffer from migraines?

Nearly 40 million people in the U.S. suffer from migraines, highlighting the significant demand for effective treatment options.

Why is the value-based contract important for migraine treatment?

The value-based contract ensures financial protection for health plans while aligning the price of NURTEC ODT with its effectiveness in treating migraines.