CMS has reached agreements with bluebird bio and Vertex Pharmaceuticals for their FDA-approved gene therapies for sickle cell disease — Casgevy and Lyfgenia, respectively.
Under the Cell and Gene Therapy Access Model, CMS will tie payments for the therapies to their effectiveness in improving health outcomes for Medicaid recipients, according to a Dec. 4 news release from the agency.
The program aims to increase access to these treatments, reduce healthcare costs and improve patient outcomes. Sickle cell disease affects more than 100,000 people in the U.S., with more than half of those who are enrolled in Medicaid.
The model will launch in January 2025, allowing states to participate between January 2025 and January 2026.