Migraine Pearls to Amgen and Novartis

Today, I’m pleased to present Migraine Pearls to Amgen and Novartis.

However, before I proceed, I should explain the entire concept of Migraine Pearls and Onions. Migraine Pearls are awarded to the “gems” in the Migraine community for valuable, shining content and support… current and accurate information… being exemplary citizens in the community… things of value. Migraine Onions, on the other hand, are awarded to “stinky” things in the Migraine community — old or inaccurate content… things that perpetuate misconceptions and stigma rather than fighting them… being “bad” or irresponsible citizens in the community… worthless products, eBooks, etc… and more.

You might think that we’re awarding Migraine Pearls to Amgen and Novartis for being the first to bring a medication developed specifically for Migraine prevention to market. Yes, they were the first to bring a CGRP monoclonal antibody medication, Aimovig™, to market, but that’s not the only reason we’re impressed.

So many patients had waited for the approval of Aimovig™ with both hope and, unfortunately, great trepidation. The trepidation revolved mostly around insurance coverage and guesses as to the cost of Aimovig™. Insurance companies are notoriously difficult when it comes to covering newly approved treatments, especially when they’re expensive compared to older treatments. Migraine patients covered by Medicare were perhaps more concerned because Medicare too is difficult to navigate when it comes to new treatments. And, Migraine disease patients without insurance were even more concerned.

I must say, however, that in nearly 20 years of working in this field, I have never seen pharmaceutical companies launch a new medication with programs to help patients that were so well developed or so generous. There’s no arguing that Aimovig™ is expensive. However, it’s less expensive than Botox or Trokendi XR, both of which are being used for Migraine prevention, and the $575 per month price tag is far lower than was anticipated. Here’s what impressed us to the point of presenting Migraine Pearls to Amgen and Novartis – The Aimivog Ally Program.

The Aimovig™ Ally Program consists of multiple parts:

• They’re offering the first two doses of Aimovig™ free of charge.
• For patients with commercial insurance whose companies aren’t yet covering Aimovig™, the Bridge to Commercial Coverage Program will provide up to 12 doses free of charge as long as the patient and their doctor are pursuing insurance coverage through prior-authorizations, appeals, etc.
• Patients who have commercial insurance and meet the eligibility requirements pay as little as $5 per month with the Aimovig Copay Program.

For patients who don’t qualify for the Ally Program, Amgen has the Amgen Safety Net Foundation that helps patients with financial need gain access to Amgen medications at no cost. It provides assistance for patients who:

• are uninsured,
• whose insurance doesn’t cover Amgen medications, and
• certain Medicare Part D patients with product coverage who cannot afford their out of pocket costs.

Congratulations to Amgen and Novartis. You’ve done an admirable job in balancing your responsibilities to your shareholders with being good citizens of the Migraine community. Thank you!