MedImpact Adds the Biosimilars Selarsdi and Yesintek to Formulary

MedImpact Healthcare Systems, which provides pharmacy benefit management services, announced that it is expanding access to two biosimilar alternatives to Stelara (ustekinumab) — Selarsdi and Yesintek.

Nicole Ellermeier, Pharm.D.

“Stelara has long been a cornerstone treatment for chronic inflammatory conditions, but with an annual cost up to $125,000 per patient, it’s a financial burden on members and payers alike,” said Nicole Ellermeier, Pharm.D., MBA, MedImpact vice president, Formulary Strategy, said in a news release. “We are committed to a biosimilar strategy that reduces costs for plans, while giving providers and members the flexibility they expect and deserve while maintaining clinical efficacy. We are adding these two lower-cost biosimilars to our formularies in alignment with that strategy.”

Ustekinumab is a human monoclonal antibody (mAb) that selectively targets the p40 protein, a component common to both interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23 cytokines, which play crucial roles in treating immune-mediated diseases like psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and inflammatory diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Biocon Biologics’s Yesintek (ustekinumab-kfce) has wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) of approximately $3,000, reflecting about a 90% discount compared with Stelara’s WAC, making it the lowest-priced ustekinumab biosimilar. A Biocon Biologics spokesperson earlier this week told Formulary Watch the company has had productive discussions with many payers, and they anticipate more formulary announcements through March and April.

Teva and Alvotech is offering Selarsdi (ustekinumab-aekn) at an 85% discount off Stelara. Selarsdi is interchangeable with Stelara, following the expiration of exclusivity for the first interchangeable biosimilar, on April 30, 2025. Approved by the FDA in October 2024, it is available as a single-dose prefilled syringe for subcutaneous injection and in a single-dose vial for intravenous infusion.

Selarsdi and Yesintek will be on the formulary at parity with Stelara, which is still on MedImpact’s formulary. The biosimilars and Stelara are subject to a clinical prior authorization and quantity limits based on indication.

There are currently seven Stelara biosimilars that have been approved by the FDA. The others include Pyzchiva (ustekinumab-ttwe), Otulfi (ustekinumab-aauz), Imuldosa (ustekinumab-srlf), and Steqeyma (ustekinumab-stba), the last of which was approved at the end of December 2024.

Pyzchiva also launched this week with a price is 80% below Stelara. Amgen’s Wezlana (ustekinumab-auub) launched in January. Wezlana is available only through Optum, a division of UnitedHealth Group. A high- and low-list price version, Wezlana, has been available on Optum Rx’s commercial formularies since Jan. 1, 2025.

Last year, MedImpact announced that it was expanding access to Simlandi and adalimumab-adaz, two lower-cost biosimilars for Humira. At the time, MedImpact said the member copay, deductible, and other factors will be the same for the biosimilars and Humira.

Simlandi and adalimumab-adaz have been with on formulary, along with Humira, beginning Jan. 1, 2025, Arpit Patel, Pharm.D., MedImpact vice president, Trade Relations, said in a LinkedIn video. MedImpact is grandfathering in all users of Humira. But for new users, they will have to try the biosimilars first.

The company also recently introduced MedPerform Flex, a commercial formulary set to launch in 2026. MedPerform Flex is designed to deliver lower upfront costs while giving payers greater flexibility in how they manage pharmacy benefits and meet the needs of their members. The new offering joins MedImpact’s suite of formularies, all of which meet the company’s requirements for clinical efficacy, while delivering access and affordability for members and maximizing choices for clients.