Kala Pharmaceuticals Announces EYSUVIS® Now Covered on UnitedHealthcare Commercial and Cigna Medicare

Rhea-AI Summary

Kala Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:KALA) announced the addition of EYSUVIS (loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension) 0.25% to UnitedHealthcare's commercial formularies, expanding its coverage to approximately 118 million lives, or 70% of all commercial lives. Cigna Medicare also added EYSUVIS as a preferred brand, increasing its total Medicare coverage to 7.1 million lives, or 15%. EYSUVIS, approved by the FDA in October 2020, is the first FDA-approved treatment for short-term dry eye disease symptoms.

Positive

• EYSUVIS now covered by UnitedHealthcare, expanding access to 118 million lives.
• Cigna Medicare adds EYSUVIS, increasing Medicare coverage to 7.1 million lives.
• Significant progress towards increasing access for dry eye disease treatment.

Negative

• None.

-- Expands Commercial Coverage to 118 million lives and Medicare Coverage to 7.1 million lives --

ARLINGTON, Mass., March 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc., (NASDAQ:KALA), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapies for diseases of the eye, today announced that UnitedHealthcare, one of the largest commercial health care plans in the United States, covering approximately 13 million lives, has added EYSUVIS (loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension) 0.25% as a covered brand on its commercial formularies effective March 2022. EYSUVIS now has coverage for approximately 118 million lives, or 70% of all commercial lives.

Also today, Kala announced that Cigna Medicare has added EYSUVIS as a preferred brand effective February 2022, adding an additional 1.9 million Medicare lives. EYSUVIS now has Medicare preferred coverage for select plans with Express Scripts, Prime Therapeutics and Cigna. Total EYSUVIS Medicare coverage is now approximately 7.1 million lives, or 15% of all Medicare lives.

“Today’s announcement marks significant progress toward our goal of expanding access to EYSUVIS for the millions of people who suffer from dry eye disease, including dry eye flares,” said Todd Bazemore, President and Chief Operating Officer of Kala Pharmaceuticals. “We look forward to continuing to engage with other commercial and Medicare Part D health plans as we execute on our goal of providing broad market access to EYSUVIS for eye care professionals and their patients.”

EYSUVIS became commercially available in January 2021 as the first and only FDA-approved medicine for the short-term (up to two weeks) treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease.

About EYSUVIS
EYSUVIS (loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension) 0.25% is approved for the short-term (up to two weeks) treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. EYSUVIS utilizes Kala's AMPPLIFY^® mucus-penetrating particle (MPP) Drug Delivery Technology to enhance penetration of loteprednol etabonate (LE) into target tissue of the ocular surface. In preclinical studies, the AMPPLIFY Drug Delivery Technology increased delivery of LE into target ocular tissues more than three-fold compared to an active LE comparator by facilitating penetration through the tear film mucins. EYSUVIS was approved by the FDA on October 26, 2020. Kala believes that EYSUVIS' broad mechanism of action, rapid onset of relief of both signs and symptoms, favorable tolerability and safety profile and the potential to be complementary to existing therapies, offer a differentiated product profile for the short-term treatment of dry eye disease, including the management of dry eye flares.

EYSUVIS, as with other ophthalmic corticosteroids, is contraindicated in most viral diseases of the cornea and conjunctiva including epithelial herpes simplex keratitis (dendritic keratitis), vaccinia, and varicella, and also in mycobacterial infection of the eye and fungal diseases of ocular structures. The initial prescription and each renewal of the medication order should be made by a physician only after examination of the patient with the aid of magnification, such as slit lamp biomicroscopy, and, where appropriate, fluorescein staining. Prolonged use of corticosteroids may result in glaucoma with damage to the optic nerve, as well as defects in visual acuity and fields of vision. Corticosteroids should be used with caution in the presence of glaucoma. Renewal of the medication order should be made by a physician only after examination of the patient and evaluation of the IOP. Use of corticosteroids may result in posterior subcapsular cataract formation. Use of corticosteroids may suppress the host response and thus increase the hazard of secondary ocular infections. In acute purulent conditions, corticosteroids may mask infection or enhance existing infection. Use of a corticosteroid medication in the treatment of patients with a history of herpes simplex requires great caution. Use of ocular corticosteroids may prolong the course and may exacerbate the severity of many viral infections of the eye (including herpes simplex). Fungal infections of the cornea are particularly prone to develop coincidentally with long-term local corticosteroid application. Fungus invasion must be considered in any persistent corneal ulceration where a corticosteroid has been used or is in use. The most common adverse drug reaction following the use of EYSUVIS for two weeks was instillation site pain, which was reported in 5% of patients.

Please see full Prescribing Information at www.eysuvis.com.

About Kala Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Kala is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative therapies for diseases of the eye. Kala has applied its AMPPLIFY^® mucus-penetrating particle (MPP) Drug Delivery Technology to two ocular therapies, EYSUVIS^® (loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension) 0.25% and INVELTYS^® (loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension) 1%. Kala also has a pipeline of development programs including a clinical-stage secretome product candidate, KPI-012, initially targeting persistent corneal epithelial defects (PCED) and multiple proprietary new chemical entity (NCE) preclinical development programs targeted to address unmet medical needs, including both front and back of the eye diseases. For more information on Kala, please visit www.kalarx.com.

Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Any statements in this press release about Kala’s future expectations, plans and prospects, including but not limited to statements about Kala’s goal of expanding access to EYSUVIS for the millions of people who suffer from dry eye disease, including dry eye flares, providing broad market access to EYSUVIS for eye care professionals and their patients and other statements containing the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “target,” “potential,” “likely,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “continue,” and similar expressions constitute forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: the impact of extraordinary external events, such as the current pandemic health event resulting from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and their collateral consequences, including disruption of the activities of Kala’s sales force and the market for EYSUVIS and INVELTYS; whether Kala will be able to successfully implement its commercialization plans for EYSUVIS and INVELTYS; whether the market opportunity for EYSUVIS and INVELTYS is consistent with Kala’s expectations and market research; Kala’s ability execute on the commercial launch of EYSUVIS on the timeline expected, or at all, including obtaining and increasing Commercial and Medicare Part D payor coverage; whether Kala will be able to generate its projected net product revenue on the timeline expected, or at all; Kala’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition of Combangio, Inc. (“Combangio”) including the possibility that the expected benefits, synergies and growth prospects from the acquisition of Combangio will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period or at all, significant transaction costs, unknown liabilities, the risk of litigation and/or regulatory actions related to the acquisition of Combangio, the uncertainties inherent in the initiation and conduct of clinical trials, availability and timing of data from clinical trials, whether results of early clinical trials or trials in different disease indications will be indicative of the results of ongoing or future trials, whether results of the Phase 1b clinical efficacy trial of KPI-012 will be indicative of results for any future clinical trials and studies of KPI-012, uncertainties associated with regulatory review of clinical trials and applications for marketing approvals, whether regulatory or commercial milestones are achieved, Kala’s ability to successfully integrate Combangio’s business into its business, Kala’s ability to retain and hire key personnel, the risk that disruption resulting from the acquisition of Combangio may adversely affect its business and business relationships, including with employees and suppliers, the sufficiency of cash resources and need for additional financing and other important factors, any of which could cause the Kala’s actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of Kala’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other filings Kala makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements represent Kala’s views as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing Kala’s views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof. Kala does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Investor Contacts:
Jill Steier
jill.steier@kalarx.com
781-996-5252

Hannah Deresiewicz
hannah.deresiewicz@sternir.com
212-362-1200

FAQ

What recent coverage has EYSUVIS received from UnitedHealthcare?

EYSUVIS has been added to UnitedHealthcare's commercial formularies, covering approximately 118 million lives.

How many Medicare lives is EYSUVIS now covered for?

EYSUVIS is now covered for approximately 7.1 million Medicare lives.

What is the significance of the recent announcements regarding EYSUVIS?

The announcements mark significant progress in expanding access to EYSUVIS for treating dry eye disease.

When was EYSUVIS approved by the FDA?

EYSUVIS was approved by the FDA on October 26, 2020.

What technology does EYSUVIS utilize?

EYSUVIS utilizes Kala's AMPPLIFY mucus-penetrating particle Drug Delivery Technology.