1
Scientific article
EULAR recommendations for the pharmacological treatment of psoriatic arthritis: 2023 update
Given the existence of new mechanisms of action and new data about the safety and effectiveness of existing medications, the European Alliance of Rheumatology Associations (EULAR) has published an update of the 2019 EULAR recommendations for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis. In addition to developing 11 recommendations, and due to the improvement in the cost-effectiveness of treatment with biological medications after the arrival of biosimilars, the possible use of biosimilars as a first option when choosing a DMARD is identified as a priority research area, for on top of the usual methotrexate, leflunomide or sulfalasazine. This roadmap focuses on the need to generate evidence that allows early access to biological therapies with a biosimilar version.
Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
https://ard.bmj.com/content/early/2024/03/18/ard-2024-225531
2
Scientific article
What happens when a financial incentive is offered directly to clinical units to encourage the use of biosimilars? Results of a two-year national experiment in France
After the inclusion of a systematic review of measures and tools focused on increasing the adoption of biosimilars in European countries within the 5 articles of last March, this study in the French health system evaluates the impact of one of these policies, the implementation of an incentive program focused on the use of biosimilar etanercept. To carry out this study, two groups of hospitals were created. The first of them set the reinvestment of the savings from the use of the biosimilar at 20%, while in the second this percentage rose to 30%, in addition to specifying that this reinvestment would have a direct impact on the prescribing care unit. The result reflects a more pronounced and less variable increase in the market share of biosimilars in hospitals in the second group, without implying a therapeutic slippage. Therefore, the likelihood that physicians will participate increases when the reinvestment impacts their immediate environment.
Applied Health Economics and Health Policy
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40258-023-00812-w
3
Scientific article
Effectiveness and Safety of Biosimilar Adalimumab in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
The generation of evidence that increases the confidence of doctors and patients is something that may be especially relevant for those indications approved by extrapolation. This new retrospective observational study in hospitals in the Valencian Community includes 44 patients with inflammatory bowel disease, of which 30 were treated with reference adalimumab, 5 with biosimilar and another 9 were changed from the reference to the biosimilar. The objective was to compare the effectiveness and safety of the adalimumab biosimilar in “naïve” patients and in patients who had switched from the original adalimumab, using laboratory markers and scales that measure the activity of inflammatory bowel disease. Finally, although the study itself recognizes limitations, such as the small number of “naïve” patients treated with biosimilar, no significant differences in terms of safety and efficacy are observed, not even in those patients who experienced the change.
Hospital pharmacy
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1130634324000059
4
Press article
The European biosimilar exhibits at BIOS24 its ability to make “a stronger Health EU”
On May 18 and 19, the 20th Biosimilar Medicines Conference (BIOS24) organized by Medicines for Europe took place in Amsterdam. In it, as Diariofarma reports, special emphasis was placed on the need to continue promoting the use of biosimilars, through a rational regulatory framework and a correctly focused pricing policy, promoting healthy competition and thus favoring patient access. to biological therapies. Encarna Cruz and Isabel del Río, who traveled to the Dutch capital on behalf of the BioSim team, positively value everything discussed by the speakers, insisting on the importance of the transition towards value-based public purchasing that allows the creation of a sustainable market; However, as commented in the summary published on the employers' LinkedIn profile, they emphasize the importance of training professionals and patients, who must be included in decision-making.
diarypharma
5
Scientific article
Biosimilars in oncology practice: A multicenter review of the use and perception of biosimilars
This American study studies, on the one hand, the safety of patients when changing from the reference drugs of trastuzumab and bevacizumab to their corresponding biosimilars and, on the other hand, thanks to a series of surveys, the perception that patients have. doctors prescribing biosimilars. Finally, the study reveals that only 2% of the 88 patients treated with bevacizumab biosimilars and 6% of the 97 patients treated with trastuzumab biosimilars had to switch back to the reference medication for different reasons. Regarding the perception of prescribers, it is clearly seen how it is generally positive, especially in those with between 1 and 5 years of experience, followed by those with more than 20 years. In view of the results, the importance of training health professionals and the development of recommendations and guidelines that support the use of biosimilars is highlighted.
