Makers of Sickle Cell Disease Gene Therapy to Participate in Payment Model, CMS Says
MedPage Today December 4, 2024
— Outcomes-based model designed to improve access to pricey treatments
Vertex Pharmaceuticals and bluebird bio have entered into an agreement with CMS to participate in a new Medicaid payment model for gene-based sickle cell anemia treatments, the agency announced Wednesday.
“The Cell and Gene Therapy Access Model will increase access to promising therapies that improve the chances of people living longer, healthier lives,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a press release. “This is a new frontier in providing access for people with sickle cell disease to potentially transformative treatments. CMS is pleased that these two drug manufacturers have agreed to participate in the model and work with the agency and states in providing access to potentially curative treatments that...