Policy

Savings from generic and biosimilar drugs totaled $445 billion in 2023, showing promise for the growth of both markets and highlighting the success of expansion policies for these products, according to a new report from the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM).

Amgen’s Pavblu (aflibercept-ayyh) is the fifth biosimilar referencing Eylea (aflibercept) to be approved for American patients with retinal diseases.

Sophia Humphreys, PharmD, MHA, BCBBS, director of system formulary management at Sutter Health, discusses the challenges of expanding biosimilars into new therapeutic areas and highlights the role of education, competitive pricing, and integrated delivery networks in improving adoption and market growth.

While biosimilars could potentially lower costs and improve access to gene therapies, significant hurdles in regulation, manufacturing, intellectual property, and market size pose challenges to their development and market entry.

Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, explains the FDA's new guidelines on post-approval changes for biosimilars, emphasizing the processes for reporting modifications, comparability assessments, and the potential for biosimilars to introduce new indications or formulation changes, which could significantly impact their market competitiveness and accessibility.

A recent study highlights that although biosimilars have led to significant price reductions, originator products with sole preferred coverage strategies have maintained market share, suggesting that increased biosimilar uptake alone may not fully leverage the market's competitive and cost-saving potential.

Jeffrey Casberg discusses key upcoming biosimilars and specialty drugs, the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on drug pricing, and the evolving role of pharmacy benefit managers in the market.

Market remonopolization by a biosimilar drug in Poland led to significant price increases for etanercept, resulting in over €3.42 million in excess health care costs, according to a recent study.

Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, urges stakeholders to engage with the FDA on its Reddit forum—where a representative will answer complex biosimilar questions—encourages clearing misconceptions, and advocates for updates to the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act guidelines.

Celltrion's adalimumab-aaty biosimilar is now accessible for all Costco members, while Amgen sues Samsung Bioepis over the latter’s denosumab biosimilar candidate, and GlycoNex progresses its denosumab biosimilar SPD8 to phase 3 trials.

CMS announced negotiated prices for 10 drugs under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), sparking mixed reactions, with concerns that including drugs facing imminent biosimilar competition could hinder market access to lower-cost alternatives.

The FDA approved Sandoz’ Enzeevu, the fourth aflibercept biosimilar to be approved for Americans with age-related macular degeneration and other retinal eye diseases.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can support global health systems in integrating biosimilars into care models, reducing health care costs, enhancing treatment decision-making strategies, and narrowing the gap between high-income and low- and middle-income countries.

Manitoba’s new policy means that all 10 Canadian provinces now have an initiative to boost biosimilar adoption and savings by transitioning patients on reference agents to biosimilar options.

The introduction of biosimilar insulins, particularly insulin glargine, is crucial for improving insulin accessibility and adherence among patients with diabetes in India, according to a study evaluating expert opinions from Indian doctors.

July brought a lot of discussion regarding biosimilar policies, in both the US and abroad, as well as 3 highly anticipated FDA approvals.

The number of FDA-approved biologics has exploded, and biosimilars are making their mark.

Value-driven health care strategies in Singapore’s public institutions have significantly increased biosimilar adoption, leading to reduced treatment costs and substantial savings for the health care system, according to a recent study.

The FDA's new policy on glycan profiling of monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) receives praise and recommendations from Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD.

The FDA approves Samsung Bioepis’ Epysqli (eculizumab-aagh), marking the second US approval for a biosimilar referencing Soliris (eculizumab).

Health literacy was categorized as problematic in 36.2% of patients and insufficient in 15.1%.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) new guidelines for biosimilar approvals aim to save time and money for manufacturers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), but hesitancy among nations to adopt the guidelines is stifling market development of biosimilars.

Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, discusses the challenges with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that plague the biosimilar industry and new legislation that attempts to reform their practices and encourage biosimilar adoption.

The author, who is CEO of Pontchartrain Cancer Center, discusses how biosimilars can be part of a strategy for delivering high-quality care while achieving savings.

The FDA has approved Ahzantive (aflibercept-mrbb) as the third biosimilar referencing Eylea (aflibercept) for the treatment of eye conditions, including age-related macular degeneration.

Pyzchiva (ustekinumab-ttwe) is the third ustekinumab biosimilar to receive approval for the American market. It was also approved with interchangeability.

Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, champions the FDA's updated guidance to remove switching study data for companies seeking to obtain an interchangeability designation for their biosimilars.

Authors of a commentary piece propose solutions to sustainability issues for biosimilar markets and shed light on common sustainability challenges global markets face.

The FDA has issued an update to its guidance on requiring switching study data for biosimilars to be granted interchangeability, citing new science that shows these studies aren’t needed to establish biosimilar safety.

The broader adoption of biosimilar drugs has the potential to significantly reduce cancer care costs and improve patient access to more affordable treatments, benefiting both patients and payers. However, a recent review highlights that biosimilar uptake has been hindered by various economic, practical, attitudinal, and psychological factors.