Pfizer Introduces Warranty Program for Rare Disease Drug Panzyga

Pfizer has rolled out a warranty program for Panzyga, its treatment for the rare neurological disease of the peripheral nerves, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

Under the program, Pfizer will refund the out-of-pocket amount that patients who meet the eligibility requirements paid for up to the first four treatments of Panzyga for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), up to a maximum of $16,500 per treatment. Pfizer said it would refund no more than a total of $50,000. Additional details can be found at the Panyzga website.

The warranty, the second to be used by Pfizer, reflects growing efforts by drug companies to create novel mechanisms for patients and payers to accept costly new medicines with uncertain benefits for them.

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a rare disorder of the peripheral nerves characterized by gradually increasing symmetrical motor and sensory loss and weakness associated with loss of deep tendon reflexes. It is caused by damage to the covering of the nerves, called myelin. The gradual onset of CIDP can delay diagnosis by several months or even years, resulting in significant nerve damage that may limit and delay the response to therapy. Most individuals will require long-term treatment, and nearly a third of CIDP patients will progress to wheelchair dependence if left untreated. Early recognition and proper treatment are critical in helping patients avoid a significant amount of disability.

Panzyga, which won FDA approval in 2021, is an intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg).

The Pfizer Pledge Warranty Program is available to adult, cash-paying or commercially insured patients. Patients are not eligible for the program if their Panzyga was covered, in whole or in part, by Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, Veterans Affairs healthcare, a state prescription drug assistance program, or the Government Health Insurance Plan available in Puerto Rico.

Commercially insured or cash-paying adult patients must be U.S. residents and living in the United States. Discontinuation of Panzyga must occur prior to the fifth dose. Use of the drug must have been for CIDP, prescribed by the patient’s healthcare provider, and stopped at the discretion of the healthcare provider. Additional requirements can be found on the Panzyga website.

Author: Rare Daily Staff