Serve You Rx Adds Two Ustekinumab Biosimilars to Formulary, Offering Up to 96% Cost Savings
Key Insights
Serve You Rx (search) has added two newly approved biosimilars to Stelara (ustekinumab) - Otulfi and Yesintek - to its Biosimilar Advantage Formulary for treating Crohn's disease (search), ulcerative colitis (search), plaque psoriasis (search), and psoriatic arthritis (search).
The biosimilars offer substantial cost savings of up to 96% compared to Stelara's annual cost of up to $152,000, representing significant opportunities for self-funded employers and health-plan sponsors to manage healthcare costs.
Otulfi will be dispensed exclusively through Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs (search) via Waltz Health (search)'s network, while Yesintek will be available through Serve You Rx (search)'s specialty pharmacy network powered by Waltz Health.
Serve You Rx (search) announced the addition of two newly approved biosimilars to Stelara (ustekinumab) to its Biosimilar Advantage Formulary, delivering substantial cost savings for self-funded employers and health-plan sponsors. The biosimilars, Otulfi (ustekinumab-aauz) and Yesintek (ustekinumab-face), provide the same therapeutic benefits for patients with Crohn's disease (search), ulcerative colitis (search), plaque psoriasis (search), and psoriatic arthritis (search).
Significant Cost Reduction Potential
The financial impact of these biosimilars is substantial, with savings reaching up to 96% compared to Stelara's annual cost of up to $152,000. "The numbers tell the story here," said Justin Jasniewski, CEO of Serve You Rx (search). "With savings of up to 96% compared to as much as $152,000 annually for Stelara, these biosimilars represent a significant opportunity for our clients to manage healthcare costs while maintaining quality care for their members."
Strategic Distribution Partnership
The initiative represents a collaborative effort between Serve You Rx (search), Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs (search), and Waltz Health (search) to improve access to high-cost specialty medications through transparent pricing and simplified distribution channels.
"Making biosimilars like Otulfi available through Cost Plus Drugs is another step toward breaking down barriers to access," said Dr. Alex Oshmyansky, CEO of Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. "By working with Serve You Rx (search), we're helping more patients and health plans avoid the inflated costs that have defined the specialty drug market for too long."
Distribution Models and Savings Projections
The two biosimilars will follow distinct distribution pathways:
Otulfi will be dispensed exclusively through Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs (search) via the Waltz Health (search) specialty pharmacy network, with members projected to save more than 96% annually compared to Stelara.
Yesintek will be available through Serve You Rx (search)'s specialty pharmacy network powered by Waltz Health (search), delivering over 90% annualized savings for plan sponsors while being approved to treat the same conditions as Stelara.
Enhanced Patient Access
Both medications will be supported by robust copay assistance programs to ensure patient access without financial barriers. Mark Thierer, Co-founder and CEO at Waltz Health (search), emphasized the innovation's significance: "Specialty drugs like Stelara have long strained the budgets of employers and health plans, leaving few viable alternatives. By working with Serve You Rx (search) to bring biosimilars like Yesintek to market through a smarter, AI-powered distribution model, we're proving that affordability and access can go hand-in-hand."
Waltz Health (search) provides a comprehensive solution featuring a specialty pharmacy network competing on price and service metrics, a guided patient experience, and a flexible service model that balances cost and outcomes. The company's AI-driven approach represents what Thierer describes as "exactly the kind of innovation the specialty pharmacy market has needed-transparent, efficient, and patient-focused."