Emmaus Life Sciences Inc (OTCQX:EMMA) has said the Florida Medicaid Pharmaceutical & Therapeutics Committee has approved adding Endari, the company's prescription-grade L-glutamine oral powder for the treatment of sickle cell disease, to the Florida Medicaid Preferred Drug List (PDL) with effect from April 1, 2022.
Endari is indicated to reduce the acute complications of sickle cell disease in adult and pediatric patients five years of age and older. There are approximately 100,000 people living with sickle cell disease (SCD) in the United States and millions more globally.
"This approval from the Florida AHCA exemplifies their belief that Endari provides valuable clinical benefits to patients who are experiencing effects of their sickle cell disease and adds Florida to the many other states that have eliminated any prior authorization criteria," said Yutaka Niihara, MD, MPH, chairman and chief executive of Emmaus in a statement.
The PDL is a listing of cost-effective, safe and clinically efficient medication which can be prescribed without prior authorization documentation. However, clinicians retain the option of prescribing drugs not on the PDL.
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"This moves us another step closer to our goal of making Endari readily available to all professional health care providers and their sickle cell disease patients in need," Niihara added.
Emmaus Life Sciences is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, marketing and sale of innovative treatments and therapies, including those in the rare and orphan disease categories.
Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com