Anthem Blue Cross Connecticut MED.00135 Gene Therapy for Hemophilia Form

Effective Date

12/28/2023

Last Reviewed

07/10/2023

Original Document

  Reference



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:

  1. Diagnosis of hemophilia B; and
  2. Age 18 years or older; and
  3. Baseline factor IX level is less than 1 international unit (IU)/deciliter (dL) (or 1% endogenous factor IX); and
  4. No contraindications to infusion (if any of the following are present, treatment is contraindicated):
    1. Active infection; or
    2. Immunosuppressive disorder; or
    3. Liver cirrhosis; or
    4. Active hepatitis B or C; or
    5. Alanine transaminase (ALT) greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal; or
    6. Bilirubin greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal; or
    7. Alkaline phosphatase greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal; or
    8. International normalized ratio (INR) greater than1.4.; or
    9. Prior infusion of etranacogene dezaparvovec-drlb;
      and
  5. Poor disease control meeting one or more of the following:
    1. One or more episodes of spontaneous bleeding into a joint or the central nervous system while receiving routine prophylaxis factor replacement therapy; or
    2. Four or more episodes of soft tissue bleeding in an 8-week period while receiving routine prophylaxis factor replacement therapy; or
    3. 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:

  1. Diagnosis of hemophilia A; and
  2. Age 18 years or older; and
  3. Baseline factor VIII level is less than 1 international unit (IU)/deciliter (dL) (or 1% endogenous factor VIII); and
  4. No contraindications to infusion (if any of the following are present, treatment is contraindicated):
    1. Detectable pre-existing immunity to the AAV5 capsid as measured by AAV5 transduction inhibition or AAV5 total antibodies; or
    2. History of factor VIII inhibitor; or
    3. Active infection; or
    4. Immunosuppressive disorder; or
    5. Liver cirrhosis; or
    6. Active hepatitis B or C; or
    7. Alanine transaminase (ALT) greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal; or
    8. Bilirubin greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal; or
    9. Alkaline phosphatase greater than 3 times the upper limit of normal; or
    10. International normalized ratio (INR) greater than1.4.; or
    11. Prior infusion of valoctocogene roxaparvovec-rvox;
      and
  5. Poor disease control meeting one or more of the following:
    1. One or more episodes of spontaneous bleeding into a joint or the central nervous system while receiving routine prophylaxis factor replacement therapy; or
    2. Four or more episodes of soft tissue bleeding in an 8-week period while receiving routine prophylaxis factor replacement therapy; or
    3. 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.