Virtual opioid use disorder provider Bicycle Health has inked a deal with retail giant Albertsons to make buprenorphine extended-release injections, a type of medication-assisted treatment, available in 17 states.
The partnership enables Bicycle Health’s doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe the injectable, called Sublocade, and have that prescription filled at Albertsons Companies pharmacies. The extended release injection will be available at 700 Albertsons Companies pharmacy locations, including Safeway and Acme pharmacies.
Bicycle is pitching extended-release injections as a way for patients to receive MAT without taking oral medication daily.
“Many patients prefer injections over taking pills orally every day,” Ankit Gupta, CEO and founder of Bicycle Health, told Behavioral Health Business in an email. “There are also clinical indications where injectable buprenorphine might be a better fit for some patients.”
The partnership will also help ensure that MAT is available when a patient is prescribed the medication. Gupta pointed to a recent study published by Bicycle in JAMA Network Open, which showed that 42.1% of the roughly 5,3000 retail pharmacies the provider contacted on behalf of the patient did not report buprenorphine stock.
“People with opioid use disorder now have another effective option that may be more appropriate and convenient for their long-term recovery,” Gupta said. “By working closely with Albertsons Companies pharmacies, we’ll be able to identify which locations can administer medication ahead of time – maximizing convenience and safety for our patients in recovery.”
This isn’t the first time Albertsons, one of the largest grocery store chains in the country, has inked a partnership around long-acting injectables. Last year, the retail company partnered with virtual care provider Frontier Psychiatry to administer long-acting injectables to treat substance use disorder and mental health conditions.
Albertsons and Bicycle Health plan to expand the partnership to more states as the regulatory industry allows.
“We are excited to offer Bicycle Health patients access to recovery care solutions in our pharmacies,” Erin Shaal, vice president of pharmacy procurement and specialty and patient care at Albertsons Companies, said in a statement. “Offering recovery injectables at our pharmacies fill a need in our communities where patients are seeking alternative treatment options to manage opioid use disorder in a stigma-free environment.”
Boston-based Bicycle Health was founded in 2017. It provides virtual MAT and online support groups.
It has since caught investor attention. In 2022, the company closed a $50 million Series B funding round, bringing its total raise to roughly $83 million. The company said that the Series B capital would go towards growing its clinical and technology teams, further developing its virtual care platform, establishing strategic partnerships and continuing MAT research.
While the company has been quickly growing, its virtual care model for MAT could face regulatory challenges within the next year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) waived a requirement in the Ryan Haight Act, which requires an in-person visit before a patient is prescribed a controlled substance. This allowed companies like Bicycle to treat patients virtually.
In February, the DEA released a new proposal that would effectively end virtual MAT without patients receiving an in-person visit within 30 days of starting treatment. This proposal was met with a wave of pushback from industry stakeholders. As a result, the DEA released a temporary rule extending telehealth flexibles until mid-November.
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