Diabetes

CVS Caremark has reordered its list of preferred therapeutics, adjusting the emphasis on biosimilars, and demonstrating that preferential status can change at any time.

A multicenter study of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in children with Turner syndrome demonstrated safety and efficacy comparable to the reference product.

Use of the 351(k) biosimilar approval pathway entails legal challenges, high costs, and potentially higher clinical evidence standards. Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, suggests that using the 351(a) pathway for standalone drugs and copy products may be faster and better. This is part 3 of a series.

Worries about what HHS will propose in its anticipated biologics pricing reform policy have been exacerbated by a rumored coding change.

A group of 16 advocacy groups are urging HHS to make zero co-pays for biologics a part of its prescription drug price reform program.

Passage of HR 3 is shaping up as a centerpiece of President Biden's effort to bring pharmaceutical prices under control. If drug companies won't negotiate prices, international reference pricing would kick in.

When it comes to their willingness to use biosimilars, providers and managed care pharmacists prefer greater transparency on formulary placement and costs, according to a focus group study based on health care surveys.

Semglee (insulin glargine) will be the first test of the FDA's interchangeability concept for biosimilars, but Viatris aims to grow its biosimilar revenues with multiple products.

The average net price of all insulin glargine products decreased between 2015 and 2020 following the steady price increase seen for Lantus from 2010 to 2014.

The approval of Biocon Biologics and Viatris' insulin glargine product as an interchangeable biosimilar will be a test of whether such designations can make a difference in patient access, Jeff Baldetti, MBA, of Cardinal Health explains.

After much anticipation, the FDA approves the first interchangeable biosimilar, which is hoped to bring down the high cost of insulin.

Biocon reports on its revenues from biosimilars and the FDA status of its insulin glargine product.

Panelists at the American Conference Institute's 2021 meeting took on the complexities of biosimilar adoption in a wide-ranging discussion.

Biosimilars are launching at significant discounts to reference products and capturing increasing market share, according to an Amgen report.

In a white paper, the International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (IGBA) describes industry dynamics that it says affect market sustainability and patient access.

Insulin aspart, lispro, and glargine biosimilar candidates referencing NovoRapid, Humalog, and Lantus demonstrated bioequivalence in trial data presented at the Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association.

Sophia Z. Humphreys, PharmD, MHA, explains how biosimilar utilization management can enable health care institutions to put COVID-19–related financial wreckage behind them.

Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, a member of The Center for Biosimilars® Advisory Board, reports on his citizen petition to the FDA to rationalize testing of biosimilars.

There is low insulin availability in the Philippines and investigators recommend policy and regulatory reviews.

More transparency in how health care money is spent could improve utilization and efficiency, panelists said at the Medicines for Europe event.

A second class of biosimilars that are considered "interchangeable" could set biosimilars back in terms of acceptance, according to Albert Kim, MBA.

The European Union is a diverse market with pockets of biosimilar resistance but also cost-saving triumphs, panelists said at the Biosimilar Medicines Virtual Summit 2021.

Opinions are diverse on how best to clear the obstructions to biosimilar market entry and patient access.

An internationally recognized authority on biosimilar development discusses varieties of copy biologics in India and the need to distinguish these from true biosimilars.

The latest e-book from The Center for Biosimilars® offers insightful content on patient education, biosimilar development, and regulatory issues.

Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, a member of The Center for Biosimilars® Advisory Board, recounts a debate with a young clinician over the reliability of biosimilarity testing.

Insulin is not a complex drug, but churning it out in massive quantities at high levels of purity is one of the main hurdles inhibiting biosimilar competition, panelists said.

Potential developers of orphan drug biosimilars face daunting challenges to get these drugs approved and onto market, said a panel of experts.

Regulators want built-in flexibility, and that benefits biosimilar developers, but there can be a price for this amount of latitude, panelists said.

"Shocked" by the threat of competition, originator manufacturers start raising prices long before rival products appear on the scene, investigators found.