Steqeyma and Yesintek biosimilars to replace Stelara for Medicare Part D plans

Effective June 1, 2025, Stelara will be replaced by Steqeyma™ and Yesintek™, two interchangeable biosimilar products, on UnitedHealthcare® Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan formularies and most Group Medicare Advantage Plan formularies.

This is part of our commitment to providing members with access to high-quality medications at the lowest possible costs.

What you need to know

Most state laws allow for biosimilar substitution. The patient’s specialty pharmacy will assist in switching them to the biosimilar, and you will not need to do anything.

In some states, you may need to write a new prescription for one of these biosimilar options to prevent delays in patient access to this medication.

For more information, see the Cardinal Health Biosimilar Interchangeability Laws tool.

Our biosimilar approach

We support biosimilar competition to help improve affordability for Medicare plans. We negotiate with both innovator and biosimilar manufacturers to promote cost-effective, clinically equivalent products. As more biosimilars enter the market, prices are expected to drop, leading to additional savings. This is particularly beneficial for pharmacy coverage, allowing us to manage costs while maintaining high-quality care.

Biosimilars are highly similar to the original product and share the same FDA-approved indications and safety profile. The FDA's approval process ensures that biosimilars are safe and effective, with no clinically meaningful differences from the original. To gain interchangeable status, manufacturers must provide the FDA with additional data on switching between the biosimilar and the original product. If a biosimilar is designated as interchangeable, it can be substituted at the pharmacy without a new prescription, depending on state laws.