Anthem Blue Cross Connecticut MED.00135 Gene Therapy for Hemophilia Form
This procedure is not covered
This document addresses gene therapy for hemophilia, a congenital medical condition in which the blood does not clot normally due to lack of sufficient blood-clotting proteins known as clotting factors. There are several forms of hemophilia, the most common of which are hemophilia A, which involves a deficiency in clotting factor VIII, and hemophilia B, which involves a deficiency in clotting factor IX. Gene therapy products for hemophilia use a virus vector with a working copy of the missing gene attached (factor VIII and factor IX for hemophilia A and B, respectively).
Position Statement
Medically Necessary:
Etranacogene dezaparvovec-drlb is considered medically necessary in individuals who meet all of the following criteria:
- Diagnosis of hemophilia B; and
- Age 18 years or older; and
- Baseline factor IX level is less than 1 international unit (IU)/deciliter (dL) (or 1% endogenous factor IX); and
- No contraindications to infusion (if any of the following are present, treatment is contraindicated):
- Active infection; or
- Immunosuppressive disorder; or
- Liver cirrhosis; or
- Active hepatitis B or C; or
- Alanine transaminase (ALT) greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal; or
- Bilirubin greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal; or
- Alkaline phosphatase greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal; or
- International normalized ratio (INR) greater than1.4.; or
- Prior infusion of etranacogene dezaparvovec-drlb;
and
- Poor disease control meeting one or more of the following:
- One or more episodes of spontaneous bleeding into a joint or the central nervous system while receiving routine prophylaxis factor replacement therapy; or
- Four or more episodes of soft tissue bleeding in an 8-week period while receiving routine prophylaxis factor replacement therapy; or
- At least 12 bleeding episodes over the previous year while receiving on-demand therapy.
Valoctocogene roxaparvovec-rvox is considered medically necessary in individuals who meet all of the following criteria:
- Diagnosis of hemophilia A; and
- Age 18 years or older; and
- Baseline factor VIII level is less than 1 international unit (IU)/deciliter (dL) (or 1% endogenous factor VIII); and
- No contraindications to infusion (if any of the following are present, treatment is contraindicated):
- Detectable pre-existing immunity to the AAV5 capsid as measured by AAV5 transduction inhibition or AAV5 total antibodies; or
- History of factor VIII inhibitor; or
- Active infection; or
- Immunosuppressive disorder; or
- Liver cirrhosis; or
- Active hepatitis B or C; or
- Alanine transaminase (ALT) greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal; or
- Bilirubin greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal; or
- Alkaline phosphatase greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal; or
- International normalized ratio (INR) greater than1.4.; or
- Prior infusion of valoctocogene roxaparvovec-rvox;
and
- Poor disease control meeting one or more of the following:
- One or more episodes of spontaneous bleeding into a joint or the central nervous system while receiving routine prophylaxis factor replacement therapy; or
- Four or more episodes of soft tissue bleeding in an 8-week period while receiving routine prophylaxis factor replacement therapy; or
- At least 12 bleeding episodes over the previous year while receiving on-demand therapy.
Investigational and Not Medically Necessary:
Gene therapy for hemophilia is considered investigational and not medically necessary when the criteria above are not met and in all other situations.