UnitedHealthcare Adds Eysuvis, Cigna Makes it Preferred Brand

UnitedHealthcare added Kala Pharmaceuticals’ Eysuvis (loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension) as a covered brand on its commercial formularies effective this month.

Eysuvis, which became commercially available in January 2021 as the first and only FDA-approved medicine for the short-term treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease, now has coverage for about 118 million lives, or 70% of all commercial lives, Kala said in a news release.

Cigna Medicare also 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 about 7.1 million lives, or 15% of all Medicare lives, according to Kala.

Todd Bazemore

The 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. “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.”

The FDA approved Eysuvis in October 2020 for the short-term treatment of dry eye disease based on the results of three phase 3 trials and one phase 2 trial. Statistical significance was seen in two of the phase 3 trials with the endpoint of ocular discomfort in both the intent-to-treat population and a subgroup of patients with severe ocular symptoms.

The therapy uses Kala’s AMPPLIFY MPP drug delivery technology to enhance penetration of loteprednol etabonate in the eye.

Between early January and April 23, 2021, more than 11,600 prescriptions were filled for Eysuvis.