OPTIMIZING ACCESS TO ACORAMIDIS IN THE UNITED STATES: THE ROLE OF PATIENT ACCESS LIAISONS (PALS) IN TRANSTHYRETIN AMYLOID CARDIOMYOPATHY (ATTR-CM)
Author(s)
Katherine Di Palo, PharmD, MS, MBA1, Rupali Sardesai, MS2, Liana Hennum, MPT, MHA2, Stephen Pan, MD, MS3;
1Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA, 2BridgeBio Pharma, Inc., San Franscisco, CA, USA, 3Westchester Medical Center Health, Valhalla, NY, USA
1Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA, 2BridgeBio Pharma, Inc., San Franscisco, CA, USA, 3Westchester Medical Center Health, Valhalla, NY, USA
OBJECTIVES: Insurance and financial barriers can delay or prevent patients from accessing, initiating, and maintaining specialty medications. PALs provide education and logistical support to facilitate timely initiation and continuity of prescribed therapies. For patients with ATTR-CM who are prescribed acoramidis, the impact of PAL engagement on therapy access has not been previously evaluated. We characterized patterns of PAL engagement and the associated effects on access outcomes among patients who were prescribed acoramidis.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of U.S. patients with ATTR-CM who were prescribed acoramidis between December 2024 and October 2025. Patients with ≥1 confirmed PAL engagement were included (defined as welcome call completed via telephone, virtual, or in-person meeting). Outcomes included PAL engagement rates, average number of interactions, paid start rates (defined as covered insurance claim for first-time treatment), and refill rates. All results were reported descriptively.
RESULTS: Among patients prescribed acoramidis after FDA approval, 63% engaged with PALs with a mean of 4 interactions per patient. Welcome calls accounted for 53% of all interactions; additional touchpoints included medical check-ins, prior authorization, appeal support, and fulfillment assistance. The overall paid start rate was 76%. Repeated PAL engagement was associated with progressive improvements in therapy initiation, with paid start rates increasing to 74% by the third interaction. Refill rates were 92% among PAL-engaged patients who were evaluable for refill.
CONCLUSIONS: PAL engagement aimed to support patient access to acoramidis, from initial prescription and paid start, through refills with continued interactions. These findings may inform the development of patient support programs that are designed to reduce barriers to specialty medication access.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of U.S. patients with ATTR-CM who were prescribed acoramidis between December 2024 and October 2025. Patients with ≥1 confirmed PAL engagement were included (defined as welcome call completed via telephone, virtual, or in-person meeting). Outcomes included PAL engagement rates, average number of interactions, paid start rates (defined as covered insurance claim for first-time treatment), and refill rates. All results were reported descriptively.
RESULTS: Among patients prescribed acoramidis after FDA approval, 63% engaged with PALs with a mean of 4 interactions per patient. Welcome calls accounted for 53% of all interactions; additional touchpoints included medical check-ins, prior authorization, appeal support, and fulfillment assistance. The overall paid start rate was 76%. Repeated PAL engagement was associated with progressive improvements in therapy initiation, with paid start rates increasing to 74% by the third interaction. Refill rates were 92% among PAL-engaged patients who were evaluable for refill.
CONCLUSIONS: PAL engagement aimed to support patient access to acoramidis, from initial prescription and paid start, through refills with continued interactions. These findings may inform the development of patient support programs that are designed to reduce barriers to specialty medication access.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
HSD1
Topic
Health Service Delivery & Process of Care
Disease
SDC: Cardiovascular Disorders (including MI, Stroke, Circulatory)