Amgen has announced from the World Medical Innovation Forum focused on cardiovascular disease that Harvard Pilgrim, a health services company providing healthcare coverage for nearly 2.7 million customers in the northeast region of the US, has signed an outcomes-based refund contract with Amgen for Repatha (evolocumab). This first-of-its-kind contract is based on the Repatha cardiovascular outcomes data that were recently presented at the American College of Cardiology 66th Annual Scientific Session. The contract provides Harvard Pilgrim with a rebate for the cost of Repatha for an eligible patient who has a heart attack or stroke while on Repatha.

"Amgen is committed to combating cardiovascular disease, one of the largest public health concerns in the world, and our value-based partnership with Harvard Pilgrim further demonstrates our confidence in the significant value that Repatha can bring to patients, payers and society," said Joshua J. Ofman, M.D., MSHS, senior vice president of Global Value, Access and Policy at Amgen. "Given the urgency to reduce LDL cholesterol in patients at high risk of cardiovascular events, we value our relationship with leading health plans like Harvard Pilgrim who have worked with us to refine their utilization management criteria to accelerate access for their high-risk patients. We look forward to partnering with other payers to create similar outcomes-based contracts for Repatha."

This contract builds on Amgen's ongoing work with Harvard Pilgrim to find new and innovative ways to partner that enable Amgen to share in mutually beneficial endeavors to deliver the highest value to the healthcare system and society, and help ensure patients are able to access the medicines they need.

"As an organization, we are looking to pay for interventions that demonstrate value and are effective in treating serious illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease," said Michael Sherman, chief medical officer, Harvard Pilgrim. "That Amgen is willing to go at financial risk for patients with elevated LDL-C levels who are adherent to Repatha and suffer cardiovascular events shows that they are willing to stand by their data, and that sends a strong positive message to health plans, prescribing physicians and patients."

Repatha, a PCSK9 inhibitor, is indicated as an adjunct to diet and maximally tolerated statin therapy for the treatment of adults with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) or clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), who require additional lowering of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), as well as an adjunct to diet and other LDL-lowering therapies for the treatment of patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH), who require additional lowering of LDL-C.