June 28, 2012—Human protein products manufacturer Octapharma USA has announced an initiative to make its octagam 5% immune globulin intravenous (IGIV) therapy for primary immune deficiency widely available to 340B covered entities.
“Octapharma is committed to providing therapies to treat life-threatening conditions to all patients, including those who are treated in facilities that have historically faced challenges accessing IGIV,” Octapharma USA President Flemming Nielsen said in a June 26 prepared statement.[ms-protect-content id=”2799″] “We are pleased that the supply of octagam 5% is now sufficient to adequately serve 340B covered entities that have in recent years experienced difficulties in accessing specialty drugs such as IGIV at 340B discounted prices.”
The Swiss-based company re-entered the U.S. market in April 2011 after voluntarily withdrawing from it in August 2010 in order to address an observed increase in thromboembolic events. It is one of only four major blood-plasma product companies still in the U.S. market, along with Baxter, Grifols, and CSL Behring.
Octapharma said it will use ASD Healthcare and FFF Enterprises as its initial distributors and would add others later this year.
According to Stanley Ammons, the company’s senior director for compliance and government policy, octagam 5% “is available on a first-come, come first-served basis, whatever our inventory is and without restriction to either commercial or 340B customers.”
“Octapharma is extremely pleased to expand access to octagam 5% for 340B covered entities because the purpose of the national initiative is to maximize available health care resources and ensure that patient needs do not go unfulfilled,” said Nielsen. “Octapharma’s goal is to provide every patient the access to care they need. Providing patients with safe, high quality therapies is always our top priority.”
340B hospitals have long complained that they have been unable to obtain IGIV products at 340B prices.[/ms-protect-content]