​​Effective January 1, 2025, Independence Blue Cross (IBX) is updating the list of specialty drugs that require precertification under the medical benefit for members enrolled in plans administered by Independence Administrators and our Commercial and Medicare Advantage HMO and PPO plans.

Additions

The following drugs have been approved by the FDA and will require precertification: 

• Ahzantive^® – Ophthalmic agents 

• Bkemv^™ – Miscellaneous therapeutic agents 

• Cosentyx^® IV – Immunological agents 

• Enzeevu^™ – Ophthalmic agents 

• Epysqli^® – Miscellaneous therapeutic agents 

• Hercessi^™ – Antineoplastic agents 

• Injectafer^® – Miscellaneous therapeutic agents 

• Monoferric^® – Miscellaneous therapeutic agents 

• Niktimvo^™ – Miscellaneous therapeutic agents 

• Nypozi^™ – Neutropenia 

• Opuviz^™ – Ophthalmic agents 

• Pavblu^™ – Ophthalmic agents
• Penhematin® – Hemin for injection*

• PiaSky^® – Miscellaneous therapeutic agents 

• Pyzchiva^® – Immunological agents 

• Selarsdi^™ – Immunological agents 

• Tecentriq^® SQ – Anti-PD-1 

• Tremfya^® IV – Immunological agents 

• Yesafili^™ – Ophthalmic agents

The following drugs are pending FDA approval and will require precertification as of the date they receive FDA approval:

• cipaglucosidase alfa – Enzyme replacement agents 

• datapotamab deruxtecan – Antineoplastic agents 

• debamestrocel – Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis agents 

• elamipretide – Miscellaneous therapeutic agents 

• obecabtagene autoleucel – Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) therapies

• odronextamab – Antineoplastic agents 

• olezarsen – Miscellaneous therapeutic agents 

• revakinagene taroretcel – Ophthalmic agents 

• tabelecleucel – Miscellaneous therapeutic agents 

• zanidatamab – Antineoplastic agents 

• zenocutuzumab – Antineoplastic agents

Changes 

The following drugs were added to the precertification list during a prior update cycle, in advance of their FDA approval. They have since been approved by the FDA, and the precertification list will be updated to reflect the new brand names:

• nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln will be changed to Anktiva^® – Antineoplastic agents 

• fidanacogene elaparvovec will be changed to Beqvez^™ – Gene replacement/gene editing therapies 

• tarlatamab will be changed to Imdelltra^™ – Miscellaneous therapeutic agents 

• imetelstat will be changed to Rytelo^™ – Miscellaneous therapeutic agents
• afamitresgene autoleucel will be changed to Tecelra^® – Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) and T-cell therapies

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