ST. LOUIS, MO. – Evernorth, the health services division of The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI), today hosted the grand opening of a new 200,000-square-foot specialty care facility in Newark, Delaware. The event brought together the greater Newark community with Governor Matt Meyer, U.S. Representative Sarah McBride, and other elected officials along with Evernorth leadership to celebrate the role the facility will play in helping patients across the Northeast have better access to the specialty medications they need.
Specialty medications are prescriptions that are:
- Highly-complex: They may require special handling, administration (such as injection or infusion), temperature-controlled storage and/or close monitoring; and
- High-touch: Patients often need to undergo special training and education on how to administer the medication and adhere to the regimen.
“This facility has been designed from the ground up to serve patients with complex medication needs faster, safer, and more efficiently than ever before,” said Matt Perlberg, President, Pharmacy and Care Delivery, Evernorth Health Services. “We are thrilled to celebrate what is our largest and most advanced specialty care facility in the U.S. and thank Governor Meyer and the entire Newark community for supporting our work.”
The facility houses both Accredo Specialty Pharmacy, a pharmacy that serves about 1 million patients annually, dispensing nearly 8 million prescriptions for complex conditions, and CuraScript SD, a specialty medication distributor serving 12,000+ healthcare providers across the country. Together, the facility distributes and dispenses treatments for complex and rare conditions including cancer, bleeding disorders, inflammatory diseases, and genetic disorders. Annually, the facility is anticipated to dispense 1.5 million specialty prescriptions from Accredo and distribute nearly 200,000 orders of specialty medications and related supplies from CuraScript SD. Today, it is staffed by more than 120 Delawareans.
"Delaware continues to be a hub for forward-thinking innovation that’s shaping health care along the East Coast. Evernorth’s latest investment is a powerful example of this, helping expand access to health care for millions,” said Governor Matt Meyer. “We’re grateful for the more than 120 jobs this new facility brings to Newark and for the meaningful impact it will have on improving care for patients.”
Through its state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure in Newark, the facility can manage highly complex multi-million-dollar gene therapies such as a first-of-its-kind gene therapy for sickle cell disease. The therapy is manufactured from a patient’s own cells and must be shipped in a special container on liquid nitrogen in order to maintain a -150 C temperature. The facility is also able to move with speed and precision, processing a prescription from when it is received, into fulfillment, verified by a highly-trained pharmacist, and then onto a delivery truck to the patient – in less than 30 minutes.
About Evernorth Health Services
Evernorth Health Services creates pharmacy, care, and benefits solutions to improve health and increase vitality. We relentlessly innovate to make the prediction, prevention, and treatment of illness and disease more accessible to millions of people. Evernorth capabilities are powered by our businesses, including Express Scripts, Express Scripts® Pharmacy, Accredo, eviCore, and MDLIVE, along with holistic Evernorth platforms and solutions that move people and organizations forward. All Evernorth solutions are serviced and provided by or through operating affiliates of Evernorth Health, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI), or third-party partners. Learn more at evernorth.com.
