Raleigh’s BioDelivery Sciences announces expanded coverage for its two drugs

RALEIGH, N.C. — BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc., a Raleigh-based pharmaceutical company focused on pain management and addiction medicine, announced on Tuesday that a pharmacy benefit manager will begin providing expanded coverage for two drugs.

The expanded coverage for BELBUCA and Symproic started Oct. 1 and is expected to have full plan adoption by Jan. 1.

The news means approximately 14 million people will now have access to BELBUCA and Symproic as either a preferred or preferred exclusive product within their commercial or health exchange plans.

With the addition of the large national PBM, the total number of people with preferred access to BELBUCA surpasses 104 million and is over 76 million for Symproic.

“We remain committed to further building upon this momentum and ensuring all patients in the U.S. have appropriate access to BELBUCA,” said Scott Plesha, president and chief commercial officer of BDSI.

BELBUCA is used for the management of severe pain that requires long-term opioid treatment. Shares of BioDelivery Sciences were trading at $4.75 on Friday, up 18 cents.

This story is from the North Carolina Business News Wire, a service of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media.