Rheumatology

Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) announced today that its adalimumab biosimilar, Cyltezo, has been granted marketing authorization by the European Commission to treat multiple rheumatic diseases after having received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use in September 2017.

A recent survey of US rheumatologists found that there is room for improvement in clinicians' awareness of biosimilar therapies.

“If the patient doesn’t have better access, you don’t need a biosimilar," argues Roy Fleischmann, MD.

Chinese researchers employed a new online consultation tool to improve disease management for patients with rheumatic diseases who travel long distances for a consultation with their rheumatologist and noted significant savings for the patients.

Four presentations on Monday at the 2017 American College of Rheumatology’s (ACR) Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, covered research comparing reference etanercept to 4 proposed biosimilars: SB4, LBEC0101, CHS-0214, and GP2015.

At this week’s American College of Rheumatology 2017 Annual Meeting, Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) announced 1-year data from the VOLTAIRE-RA trial, which showed that BI’s newly approved adalimumab biosimilar (Cyltezo) showed no clinically meaningful differences in safety, efficacy, or immunogenicity from the reference adalimumab (Humira) in patients who had moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Research presented at the 2017 American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting found that patients with rheumatoid arthritis and higher body mass index were less likely to achieve remission and more likely to face higher rates of disability.

Today, 4 presentations at the 2017 American College of Rheumatology’s (ACR) Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, covered research on switching studies concerning etanercept and infliximab biosimilars.

In a presentation titled “Biosimilar Medicine: Changing Landscape in Health Care,” given on Monday at the 2017 American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, J. Eugene Huffstutter MD, FACP, FACR, shared practical considerations for using biosimilars in the rheumatology clinic.

Three presentations at this week’s 2017 American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA, cover research on pharmacokinetic equivalence, safety, and switching of 2 proposed adalimumab biosimilars, GP2017 and CHS-1420.

Two posters presented today at the American College of Rheumatology’s 2017 meeting in San Diego, California, highlight the gaps in US rheumatologists’ knowledge concerning biosimilar therapies, and underscore the importance of greater physician education about biosimilar medicines.

The Center for Biosimilars® recaps the top 5 stories in biosimilars news for the week of October 30.

As AbbVie’s best-selling Humira faces oncoming biosimilar competition, the drug maker is developing a new innovator product that could help it retain a hold on the market; new results from 3 phase 3 clinical trials show AbbVie’s investigational interleukin-23 inhibitor, risankizumab, to be more effective than adalimumab (Humira) or ustekinumab (Stelara) in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

Russian biosimilar developer Biocad has won a legal battle that will allow it to move forward with its rituximab biosimilar.

Advances in research suggest that neurotransmitters other than serotonin and noradrenaline may be involved in the pathogenesis and treatment of major depressive disorder, and have pointed to inflammation as an important factor.