Practice

A recent study found that the COVID-19 pandemic had little impact on the knowledge and attitudes of German and Swiss pharmacists regarding biologics and biosimilars between 2020 and 2022.

Intro to Biosimilars is now in session! Test yourself on how well you know these biosimilar basics.

Two Taiwanese posters presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) 2023 annual meeting evaluated the real-world implications of using trastuzumab biosimilars, particularly Ogivri (trastuzumab-dkst) in patients with HER2-postive breast cancer.

A review article discussed the characteristics of the available adalimumab biosimilars to help clinicians navigate the various treatment options with their patients.

A simulation study estimated the impact of biosimilar substitution on total cost of care (TCOC) and provider financial performance in the final performance period of the Oncology Care Model.

A survey explores the experiences of health care providers (HCP) in New Zealand throughout the transition process following a mandatory switch from the adalimumab originator (Humira) to a biosimilar in 2022.

A report from IQVIA noted that Europe could miss out on €15 billion in cost savings by not having biosimilars for medications about to lose market exclusivity, shedding light on the implications for overall health care savings and ultimately, patient access.

Although biosimilars have already generated savings for Medicare Part B programs and beneficiaries, opportunities for substantial reductions in spending remain, according to a report from the HHS.

A China-based study where data were collected from patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) showed safety and efficacy of the adalimumab biosimilar HS016.

A retrospective study of New England patients receiving trastuzumab or bevacizumab found that combining dose rounding and biosimilar use resulted in greater cost savings than either strategy alone.

In part 3 of a 3-part series for Global Biosimilars Week, The Center for Biosimilars® reviews an analysis investigating whether clinical efficacy studies have an impact on prescribing decisions for oncology biosimilars across Europe.

At the recent Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Nexus meeting, panelists discussed the impact of introducing biosimilars in new medical fields, emphasizing the need for more education and collaboration to ensure their smooth integration into health care systems.

The use of biosimilars of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors within Poland’s public payer saved over €243 million from 2013 to 2021, with about 68% of that coming from the rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases alone.

An international survey found that providers agree that use of biosimilars in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is safe and effective in both patients who are treatment-naïve and those who are already being treated with a reference agent.

A poster from AMCP Nexus quantifies trends in biosimilar coverage within Tufts Medical Center, finding that payer coverage of these products has increased but individual preferences among payers still vary.

Samsung Bioepis’ most recent biosimilar market report identified inconsistent medical guidelines, challenges with access and rebates, and acute vs chronic treatment duration as major factors influencing biosimilar uptake in the United States.

Researchers of a literature review found similar safety profiles between biosimilar pegfilgrastim and its reference product (Neulasta) across several phase 1 and phase 3 clinical trials.

An international comparative analysis found that the level of biosimilar market sustainability differs between countries, largely due to variances in biosimilar policies and years of experience managing a biosimilar market.

A collaborative exercise with 16 health care organizations nets millions in savings.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease who underwent a switch from reference infliximab to a biosimilar and then back to the originator were more likely to discontinue their treatment than patients who underwent a single switch from the originator to a biosimilar.

A study evaluating the real-world impact of treating patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with an adalimumab biosimilar found that providing patient questionnaires early can be useful for identifying those at a higher risk of treatment discontinuation.

Growing use of innovator biologics, including those with biosimilar competition, has led to increased Medicare Part B drug expenditures, with the trend unlikely to stop.

An FDA workshop featuring regulators from around the world provided the regulatory perspective on how each government determines whether a biosimilar is clinically equivalent to their reference product, highlighting the science behind their development guidelines.

A report from the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) highlighted the value of biosimilars and generics, revealing that lower-cost versions of originator products accumulated $408 billion for the US health care system in 2022.

Perhaps the most significant development in the pharmaceutical industry in decades, crops of biosimilars are being approved and are ready for distribution. What lies next, in terms of legislation and the impact on pharmacists, remains to be seen.

Switching from reference to biosimilar adalimumab was found to be safe and effective. Researchers cautioned that female patients may be at higher risk of discontinuation compared with their male counterparts.

Single switching between approved biologics and biosimilars of tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFis) were found to be safe and effective for rheumatoid arthritis.

Pharmacists will have the opportunity to use their knowledge of biosimilars to reinforce their benefits, safety, and efficacy.

A meta-analysis and systematic review of data on over 10,000 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) found that etanercept, adalimumab, and infliximab biosimilars were clinically equivalent to their reference products.

Dan Danielson, RPh, MS, senior director, market access solutions, at PrecisionValue, a market access marketing firm, explains the remaining issues at play slowing down biosimilar uptake in the United States.