AllianceRx Walgreens Prime Named Limited Distribution Partner for Cystic Fibrosis Therapy, Other Specialty Drugs

AllianceRx Walgreens Prime has added the 3-drug combination therapy elexacaftor, tezacaftor, ivacaftor (Trikafta, Vertex Pharmaceuticals), a new breakthrough therapy for cystic fibrosis (CF), to be available at its pharmacy locations, among other specialty medications.

The 3-drug combination therapy was previously approved by the FDA for patients with CF aged 12 years and older who have at least 1 copy of the F508del mutation.²

“We are thrilled to be able to offer this new therapy. [M]any patients living with CF previously had no approved therapeutic options to treat the underlying cause of this disease. Having access to this medicine means more of our patients will have a better quality of life,” said Tracey James, RPh, senior vice president of pharmacy services at AllianceRx Walgreens Prime, in a prepared statement.¹

CF is a rare, progressive, life-threatening disease that can lead to severe respiratory and digestive problems, as well as complications such as infections and diabetes. It is caused by a defective protein that results from mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene.¹

While there are approximately 2000 known mutations of the CFTR gene, the most common is the F508del mutation. The 3-drug combination therapy was highly effective in people with CF who inherited the F508del mutation, improving health outcomes and symptoms in 2 prior studies.

The 3-drug combination therapy is a specialty medicine distributed through a limited network of specialty pharmacies and distributors, including AllianceRx Walgreens Prime. The company announced that the following limited distribution drugs are also available:

• Fedratinib (Inrebic, Celgene Corporation) is the first new treatment in nearly a decade for patients living with myelofibrosis.
• Istradefylline (Nourianz, Kyowa Kirin Incorporated) is used with existing medication to treat adults with Parkinson disease who are having “off” episodes, categorized when medications wear off and symptoms return earlier than expected or before the next dose.
• Darolutamide (Nubeqa, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals) is used to treat men with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
• Entrectinib (Rozlytrek, Genentech) is used to treat adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with solid tumors that have a neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase gene fusion without a known acquired resistance mutation, are metastatic, or for which surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and who have either progressed following treatment or have no satisfactory alternative therapy.

“Having manufacturers select AllianceRx Walgreens Prime as their limited distribution drug partner means they realize we’re committed to helping our patients, families, communities, and providers. [M]anufacturers know they can trust us to help our patients throughout their health care journey,” James said in a prepared statement.

Reference

• New FDA-approved cystic fibrosis medicine, Trikafta®, among other specialty drugs available through AllianceRx Walgreens Prime [press release]. Biospace website. Published January 6, 2020. https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/new-fda-approved-cystic-fibrosis-medicine-trikafta-among-other-specialty-drugs-available-through-alliancerx-walgreens-prime/. Accessed January 7, 2020.
• Elexacaftor + tezacaftor + ivacaftor (Trikafta™). https://www.cff.org/Trials/Pipeline/details/10150/Elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor-Trikafta. Accessed January 7, 2020.