Optum Frontier Therapies Selected by Albireo as a Limited Pharmacy Partner for Bylvay

In November of 2020, Optum introduced Optum Frontier Therapies, a new pharmacy services business with a mission to support people with compassion, while creating access to therapies at the frontier of health care—including rare disease drugs, gene and other advanced therapies, and digital therapeutics.

EnvoyHealth, acquired in the Diplomat transaction, became part of Optum Frontier Therapies in December 2020. Envoy’s expertise in managing custom pharmacy models for digital therapeutics, operating noncommercial pharmacy programs, and distributing specialty drugs will amplify the capabilities of Optum Frontier Therapies.

Optum^® Frontier Therapies, a specialty pharmacy dedicated to people with rare disease, was founded to optimize every aspect of advanced therapeutics, from the point of prescribing to treatment and beyond.

Optum^® Frontier Therapies goes beyond specialty pharmacy services to provide expert care and support via two centers of distinction. With the Optum Frontier Therapies Center for Rare Disease and the Optum Frontier Therapies Center for Gene Therapy, it tailors services to the needs of a specific disease state or therapy.

Optum^® Frontier Therapies, with a pharmacy in Flint, Michigan, recently launched a new western headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada. The location features a state-of-the-art pharmacy and specialty distribution center, which will serve patients living with rare conditions in all 50 states.

With rare diseases affecting 30 million people in the United States, Optum Frontier Therapies partners with stakeholders across health care to provide customizable pharmacy and patient services, distributes and dispenses specialty medications, and utilizes data reporting and analytics to advance therapeutic outcomes and experiences. 

Albireo recently selected Optum Frontier Therapies as a limited pharmacy partner for new drug Bylvay™. The drug was approved by the FDA for the treatment of progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC), a rare disorder affecting children that causes life-threatening liver disease. For those with PFIC and other rare diseases, it may be the first time they have access to breakthrough therapies with no other treatment options.

Optum Frontier Therapies was also recently awarded full accreditation with Distinction in Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs by the ACHC. Optum Frontier Therapies pharmacies comprise two of only four specialty pharmacies to earn the organization’s distinction for providing access to orphan status drugs that treat rare diseases.

Takeaway: By driving better partnerships and patient outcomes, Optum Frontier Therapies works to address complexities like sensitive therapy coordination, gaps in knowledge or data, and high cost