Biosimilars

In an interview with MHE, SVP Savitha Vivian said the biosimilars to Humira and Novolog that are expected to be on the market in the next few years could have the kind of impact that proponents of biosimilars have been hoping for.

A large Netherlands study demonstrated that rituximab biosimilars (R-biosimilars) produced a 43% reduction in annual costs. In addition, three-year overall survival did not differ between diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and those receiving rituximab, according to the researchers.

In this second part of a two-part video series, Briana Contreras, associate editor of MHE caught up with MHE Editorial Advisory Board member David Calabrese, who is market president of Health Plans/PBMs at OptumRx. Calabrese shared his thoughts on the approval of the Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm, as well as the Biden Administration's interest in putting more generics and biosimilars in the market.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology says biosimilar alternatives to Avastin have never been tested in the eye.

FDA approval means that pharmacists can swap biosimilar Semglee, an insulin product, for brand-name Lantus, although state-level pharmacy rules may apply.

FDA approval means that pharmacists can swap biosimilar Semglee, an insulin product, for brand-name Lantus, although state-level pharmacy rules may apply.

Wide ranging report covers a lot of ground. It sounds an optimistic note about biosimilars but is critical of white bagging.

International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association recently released the report, "A Vision for the Global Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Industry,” covering the current global Generic and Biosimilar medicine industry, and released a vision of what the market will be in 2030 and how to achieve it.

Research note from SVB Leerink says revenue erosion once biosimilars hit the market in 2023 may be more gradual than some prior predictions.

Low prices and some gaming of regulations can drive out competitors and create monopolies that allow generic makers to jack up their prices. Experience has shown that it often takes multiple generics to achieve the promised-for downward pressure on prices.

Insurer also moves two approved biosimilars for Remicade, Avsola and Inflectra, to preferred status.

Biosimilars may reduce healthcare costs.

Generic drugs account for 90% of the prescriptions filled in the United States. They are the backbone of healthcare providers’ treatment protocol and they are remarkably cost effective: despite being 90% of the prescriptions filled, generics account for only 20% of drug spending.

Drug and diagnostic approvals and biosimilars news were popular with readers.

The leading community oncology practice partnership has been an early adopter of biosimilars, and a trouble-shooter for hurdles with payers.

The Alliance of Community Health Plans calls for changes to get more biosimilars approved and on the market.

Texas Oncology Executive Vice President Debra Patt says it will be unrealistically expensive for oncologists to keep many biosimilars for the same innovator product in their inventories.

Authors of a review say biosimilars would improve treatment, not just reduce cost.

Whether the OCM has worked out is debatable, but it has apparently encouraged the use of biosimilar versions of filgrastim.

It's early days yet because patent and other issues have kept FDA-approved biosimilars off the market, but Gary Lyman, M.D., M.P.H.. of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center says there's evidence of some effect on the price of cancer supportive drugs.

Advocates say a number of regulatory changes could help bring more of these products on to the market.

Biosimilar misinformation takes many forms, some of it institutionalized in the form of word usage and some of it deliberately disparaging, 2 executives of Sandoz and Boehringer Ingelheim contend.

Vote in May made FDA-approved biosimilars an "appropriate substitution" for brand-name biologics in NCCN guidelines.

Along with the other Humira biosimilars, Hulio will not be on the market till 2023.