11:54 AM EST, 03/07/2025 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with response from Optum Rx in the third and fourth paragraphs.)

Vertex Pharmaceuticals ( VRTX ) said Thursday that its Journavx non-opioid pain killer has been added by UnitedHealth Group's ( UNH ) drug plan unit Optum Rx to its formulary.

"[The addition reflects] the unmet need for new treatment options and the promise of Journavx in acute pain, and we continue to work with them and other payers to ensure broad availability," Vertex Pharmaceuticals ( VRTX ) said in a statement emailed to MT Newswires.

Optum Rx told MT Newswires that its independent pharmacy and therapeutics committee is assessing the clinical data supporting the medication and will soon make a recommendation on formulary placement.

"In the interim, Journavx was added to our standard commercial formularies to allow immediate access to a non-opioid option for moderate-to-severe pain in the acute setting," Optum Rx said.

Optum Rx put Journavx on a "non-preferred" brand name drugs tier on two of its approved drugs lists called formularies, for commercial plans, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing a recent formulary update.

The tier 3 designation means that Journavx will be covered but will likely be more expensive than drugs on tiers 1 and 2 that are usually reserved for low-cost generics or preferred brand-name drugs, the report said.

Journavx was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in January for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe acute pain.

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