1
Scientific article
Cost savings from biosimilars can help increase patient access and ease the financial burden on healthcare systems
Despite the advantages of biosimilars, their adoption has been slow in the US compared to the European Union. This analysis identifies challenges to increase the use of biosimilars in the US taking as an example successful European measures. Switch strategies, public procurement or revision of therapeutic guidelines are exemplified as possible tools to increase the use of biosimilars in the US, although they warn that some intrinsic problems of their system must be overcome, such as the current terms of part B of the Medicare or patent abuse, which either discourage or delay the use of biosimilars.
Kvien T, et al. December 2021, Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35027243/
2
Scientific article
Analysis of drug cost and disease outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with targeted biologic and synthetic DMARDs in Norway in 2010-2019 - a country with a national bidding system for the prescription of expensive drugs
This study aims to analyze the annual costs of biologic and synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs) and disease outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis between 2010 and 2019 under the Norwegian annual tender scenario, in effect from 2007. Among other results, it was observed that the number of patients with rheumatoid arthritis increased from 4.909 in 2010 to 9.335 in 2019, while the average annual cost per patient fell by 47% in that period.
Brkic A, et al. January 2022, BMC Health Services Research.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35012522/
3
News
The promotion of biosimilars, among the measures of the French Government for 2022
The promotion of biosimilars is one of the central themes of the French Government's objectives in terms of health for 2022. Thus, the incentive plan that seeks to make doctors aware of the savings that prescribing a biosimilar medicine instead of the biological of reference at the beginning or during treatment, will be effective for prescriptions made from January 1, 2022. Specifically, the incentive will be paid to doctors in 2023. Initially, the plan will affect six molecules: etanercept, adalimumab, follitropin alfa , enoxaparin, teriparatide and insulin aspartate.
January 2022, Espaceinfirmier.
https://www.espaceinfirmier.fr/actualites/sante-les-nouveautes-au-1er-janvier-2022.html
4
Scientific article
Interchangeability of Biosimilars: A Study of Expert Views and Opinions on Science and Substitution
Empirical qualitative study through semi-structured interviews with 25 experts from drug agencies and the pharmaceutical industry on the science behind the interchangeability of biosimilars. In general, they were confident in the interchangeability of biosimilars, although it is an issue that they consider goes beyond a scientific question of similarity between biosimilars and reference products and also implies regulation and trust.
Druedahl L, et al. January 2022, Plos One.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35015783/
5
Official document
National prescription indicators 2022-2023: support for safe and optimized prescription
In the report "National Prescription Indicators 2022-2023: Support for Safe and Optimized Prescription", the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group, an entity that advises the Welsh Government on the use, management and prescription of medicines, suggests increasing the use cost-effectiveness of biological medicines including biosimilars, something they call "best value biological medicine". The aim is to ensure that the prescribing of higher value biologics supports efficient prescribing in primary and hospital care in Wales. As an indicator, they propose using the ratio of biological drugs with the best value prescribed compared to the total of original drugs and biosimilars. In addition, the report offers an evolution of the use of biosimilars from March 2019 to March 2021 for adalimumab, infliximab, etanercept, rituximab and trastuzumab, having reached all of them more than 80% penetration.