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Harrow partners with Cencora to launch product accessibility program

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4 min read

In its latest strategic partnership, Harrow is collaborating with Cencora, Inc. to launch the “Harrow Cares” program to provide access and affordability services for its retina-based products.

First, a rundown on Cencora.

Formerly known as AmerisourceBergen, the U.S.-based pharmaceutical sourcing and distribution services company is a global leader in facilitating and optimizing market access to therapies.

Its primary focus: Distributing brand-name, specialty brand-name, and generic pharmaceuticals as well as over-the-counter (OTC) healthcare products, and home healthcare supplies and equipment.

And this partnership?

The “Harrow Cares” program is intended to provide a state-of-the-art patient support services hub to ensure “seamless enrollment, rapid access to therapy, and personalized support” for eyecare professionals (ECPs)—specifically, retina specialists—to incorporate two key Harrow products into their practices:

  • IHEEZO (chloroprocaine hydrochloride ophthalmic gel) 3%
  • TRIESENCE (triamcinolone acetonide injectable suspension) 40 mg/mL

Before we get into these details, talk about these products.

Starting with IHEEZO: FDA-approved in September 2022, this is a sterile, single-use, physician-administered, preservative-free (PF) low-viscosity ophthalmic gel.

  • Its indication: ocular surface anesthesia
  • Its U.S. commercial launch: May 2023
    • Notably: As of July 2024, the gel is also available via Apexus, LLC’s 340B Prime Vendor Program.

Next: Originally FDA-approved in 2007, TRIESENCE suspension is an injectable, synthetic corticosteroid.

  • Its indications: sympathetic ophthalmia, temporal arteritis, and uveitis
  • Its U.S. commercial launch: The drug was relaunched in October 2024 after 5+ years on the FDA Drug Shortage List and 2 years of inventory depletion

And take note regarding both these products: Harrow acquired their exclusive U.S. rights (along with three other ophthalmic products) from Novartis just 2 years ago.

Now back to this program; what does it include?

Four key aspects of the “Harrow Cares” program consist of:

  • Streamlined enrollment for providers
    • ECPs can enroll through multiple channels (phone, provider portal, or PXConnect technology integration)
  • Rapid access to therapy services
    • Provide real-time benefit verifications allowing retina specialists to quickly verify patient benefits and access treatment
  • Flexible affordability for patients
    • Options include an in-house commercial copay assistance program, patient assistance options, and third-party charitable foundation referrals—potentially allowing patients to pay as little as $0
  • Ongoing customer support
    • Offerings entail patient welcome calls, annual re-verification support, escalation for prior authorization denials, and product replacement programs

Sounds like a lot of benefits to this … so why partner with Cencora?

As Harrow noted, the company’s services—ranging from real-time benefit verifications to flexible affordability options and product assurance programs—make Cencora “uniquely positioned to facilitate and optimize patient care for therapies like IHEEZO and TRIESENCE.”

Harrow CEO Mark L. Baum also stated that “this partnership reflects our shared commitment to addressing one of the most critical challenges in healthcare—ensuring that life‑changing medications are both accessible and affordable.”

Nice! And lastly, what else has Harrow been up to lately?

Funny you should ask … the company actually recently launched two other product-focused initiatives a few months ago (in November 2024, to be specific).

Those included:

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