Biosimilars

With so many factors at play, it can be difficult to assess the true impact of generic drugs on healthcare costs.

As the FDA continues to work on the biosimilars approval process, there are growing concerns that a true cost-savings can't be realized.

A study of cost trends for tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after the entry of new competition showed that the newer drugs did not lower costs, and in fact, the annual treatment costs of the existing medicines rose by $17,390. Taxpayer funds shouldered all of the increases, and the “findings illustrate a market failure contributing to the rising costs of prescription drugs,” according to the researchers.

A study of cost trends for tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after the entry of new competition showed that the newer drugs did not lower costs, and in fact, the annual treatment costs of the existing medicines rose by $17,390. Taxpayer funds shouldered all of the increases, and the “findings illustrate a market failure contributing to the rising costs of prescription drugs,” according to the researchers.

Suzette Kox, MPharm, Secretary General of the International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (IGBA), discusses challenges faced jointly by the US and EU biosimilars markets.

A Canadian advisory council is recommending the use of biosimilars in a final report that lays out 60 recommendations for how the country can create a $15.3 billion (approximately US $11,408,521,500) universal, single-payer, public system for pharmaceutical coverage.

Korean drug maker Celltrion Healthcare recently presented new findings from a 2-part study at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology 2019 meeting about subcutaneous biosimilar CT-P13 (Inflectra, Remsima).

The widespread adoption of telemedicine during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as reimbursement parity that was enacted by CMS, should be continued once the public health emergency passes, according to a new position statement by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).