Aetna Inc (NYSE:AET) and Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) have recently entered into a value-based agreement for diabetes drugs Januvia (sitagliptin) and Janumet (sitagliptin plus metformin). Under this partnership, Merck will also pioneer the participation in AetnaCare, the personalized health and wellness care program of Aetna.
Helping Type 2 Diabetes Patients
Primarily, with the new alliance, Aetna and Merck aim to provide better treatments and care for type 2 diabetes patients.
“Merck shares Aetna’s commitment to focusing on patients, and we are confident that the value-based agreement will help advance our common goal of helping patients with type 2 diabetes,” said Robert McMahon, Merck US President of Global Human Health, of the unique collaboration.
Harold Paz, Ph.D., Aetna Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President (EVP), has said that Aetna’s value-based treatment principle lay in how healthcare professionals prescribe the right treatments to patients.
AetnaCare
With AetnaCare, participants can leverage data analytics to devise and provide targeted healthcare services that are more appropriate for members. The program has been developed to improve overall healthcare provision and patient lifestyle by healthcare providers and companies seamlessly working together.
Initially, AetnaCare will focus on diabetes and hypertension patients. Paz believes that the new program will help build a more coordinated patient care for all members.
AetnaCare features real-time identification of target markets, personalized care maps, and curated clinical and nonclinical services. With these unique capabilities, Aetna promises to improve not just the care that patients receive but more importantly, to enhance patient outcomes.
With Merck on board, Aetna can also take advantage of the company’s experience in developing tools and solutions that aim to optimize integrated patient care.
High Medicare Star Quality Ratings
In other news, Aetna has attained on Wednesday high Medicare Star Quality Ratings for the Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) plans for next year.
Nancy Cocozza, Aetna President of Medicare, has noted that the latest achievement is yet another reflection of the company’s increasing commitment to all of its members.
At Wednesday’s close, Aetna was down 1.52% to $110.37 while Merck was down by 0.34% to $61.66.