CVS Health Helps Customers Accelerate Biosimilar Adoption Through Formulary Changes - Supporting Affordable Options for Osteoporosis Care
WOONSOCKET, R.I., Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health® (NYSE: CVS) today announced new steps to further help customers expand adoption of lower-cost biosimilar medications. Effective April 1, 2026, CVS Caremark will begin offering osteoporosis biosimilars Ospomyv and Stoboclo, as well as generic teriparatide, Bonsity, and Tymlos on major national commercial template formularies. These medications will replace Prolia and Forteo, giving customers and their members more affordable options with strong clinical and supply confidence. This preferred biosimilar approach is over 50% lower in costs per prescription than the original brand.
What is a drug formulary?
A drug formulary is a continually updated list of preferred medications and related products supported by current evidence-based medicine, judgment of physicians, pharmacists and other experts.
How does CVS Caremark help customers use a formulary to drive savings?
CVS Caremark helps customers use a formulary to help manage costs while making sure that their members have access to clinically appropriate medications. In much the same way that generic drugs are used as alternatives to branded drugs, biosimilars offer quality, safe, and effective treatment options that have no clinically meaningful difference from their reference products.
How is CVS Caremark helping to improve the use of biosimilars?
This formulary change builds on steps Caremark previously took to exclude reference brand Humira from its template formulary and include lower list price biosimilars.
"Caremark was the first pharmacy benefit manager to exclude reference brand Humira from our commercial template formulary in favor of biosimilars priced dramatically less than the branded product," said Ed DeVaney, President, CVS Caremark. "The results of our industry leadership in this category illustrate the value we can deliver when we can leverage our tools to drive competition. To date, our biosimilar formulary strategy has helped customers and their members realize $1.5 billion in gross savings."
CVS Caremark has proven experience in supporting biosimilar adoption, helping 96% of Caremark's client members using Humira to transition to a biosimilar.
How is CVS Specialty making care simpler?
Like Humira and its biosimilars, Prolia is a specialty drug dispensed by CVS Specialty. As is done for all CVS Specialty patients who experience changes to their plan formulary, CVS Specialty proactively reaches out to both the prescriber and the patient to inform them about the formulary change, describe the process for providers to submit a new prescription for a covered alternative and keep the patient updated about the process.
"When a CVS Specialty patient's plan formulary changes, our advanced technology capabilities allow us to streamline the process for the doctor by communicating with them in their electronic health record workflow and sending a new prescription that can be approved with a single click," said Lucille Accetta, RPh, MPH, MBA, Senior Vice President & Head of CVS Specialty Operations, CVS Health. "We also work to deliver a frictionless experience for the patient by proactively communicating with them digitally or over the phone – based on their preferences – to inform them of the changes, answer their questions and educate them about the new medication."
What are biosimilars and what do these biosimilars treat?
Biosimilars are often injectable medications that treat complex chronic conditions and require special handling such as temperature control. These factors make drug shortages and supply chain issues particularly challenging for biosimilars and underscore the importance of a reliable supply of medication for the patient.
The Prolia biosimilar options now included on Caremark's template formulary are Ospomyv, brought to market by Cordavis Limited, and Stoboclo, manufactured by Celltrion, Inc.
Ospomyv and Stoboclo are FDA-approved for the treatment of osteoporosis in high-risk individuals, as well as increasing bone density in men and women undergoing certain cancer treatments. Treating osteoporosis is crucial to prevent painful and debilitating fractures, which can lead to loss of independence, disability, and even death, particularly in older adults. These effective alternatives for osteoporosis offer patients affordable options with the same clinical benefits—increasing access to lifechanging medications.
About CVS Health
CVS Health® is a leading health solutions company building a world of health around every consumer, wherever they are. As of September 30, 2025, the Company had approximately 9,000 retail pharmacy locations, more than 1,000 walk-in and primary care medical clinics and a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 87 million plan members. The Company also serves an estimated more than 37 million people through traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including highly rated Medicare Advantage offerings and a leading standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. The Company's integrated model uses personalized, technology driven services to connect people to simply better health, increasing access to quality care, delivering better outcomes, and lowering overall costs.
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David Whitrap
SOURCE CVS Health
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