Anthem Please Provide Access to Approved Duchenne Treatment

(CureDuchenne letter to Anthem dated March 14)

CureDuchenne believes that all those with Duchenne that have a treatment option available to them should have access to the drug.  Our heart breaks every time we hear that an insurance company has denied coverage to a Duchenne patient who could benefit from an approved treatment.

CureDuchenne is concerned with the way Anthem evaluated the clinical data which supports the use of Exondys 51 (eteplirsen) for the treatment of patients with Duchenne who are amenable to exon 51 skipping.

CureDuchenne reached out to Anthem in a letter on March 14 requesting that they consult with nationally recognized experts in the field of Duchenne.  We are not sure that Anthem has taken every opportunity available to fully appreciate the complications of the various phenotypes of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.  These clinicians treat Duchenne patients and know the disease inside and out.  They can help Anthem to fully understand the intricacies involved with Duchenne and exon skipping treatments.

We hope to hear from Anthem soon to continue a dialogue to come up with a solution to provide access to the first FDA approved treatment for Duchenne.

We urge Anthem to cover this approved medicine for all those who are eligible for the treatment.