Biocad's Rituximab Biosimilar Enters Latin America; Roadblocks Remain in the US
June 26th 2017Earlier this month, Biocad obtained a marketing authorization for its rituximab biosimilar in Bolivia and Honduras. The product, USMAL, will be available to patients within months. Yet the Russian firm sees roadblocks ahead for US market entry.
After Patient Pressure, NHS England Strikes Kadcyla Deal With Roche, Wales Follows Suit
June 22nd 2017After negotiations with drug manufacturer Roche, England’s National Health Service (NHS) has approved the routine use of trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla) for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer in patients for whom trastuzumab (Herceptin) treatment has failed.
Rapid Point-of-Care Test Detects Anti-Infliximab Antibodies in Routine Clinical Practice
June 22nd 2017Spanish researchers recently reported reliable detection of antibodies to infliximab (ATI) from venous or capillary blood using a rapid, point-of-care (POC) ATI test that allowed clinicians to detect ATI in a quick, decentralized mode that facilitated immediate POC decision making.
Report Suggests that Biosimilars May Slow Drug Sales Worldwide by 2022
June 21st 2017Worldwide prescription drug sales could reach $1.06 trillion by 2022, according to a new report. This earning represents only a 6.5% compound annual growth rate, and biosimilars may well play a significant role in curbed growth.
An Expert Discussion: Lessons Learned and the Future of Biosimilar Uptake
June 21st 2017At the 8th Annual Summit on Biosimilars, a panel of legal experts reviewed lessons learned from the first 18 months of biosimilars in the United States, and looked ahead to the question of how these drugs will gain acceptance and market uptake.
Adding a Biologic to Methotrexate May Benefit Patients With Early RA
June 20th 2017In a recent study, researchers sought to investigate the clinical impact of 1-year certolizumab pegol therapy added to the first year of a 2-year treatment with methotrexate in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis.
Danish NGO Plays a Key Role in Patient Education on Biosimilars
June 19th 2017Denmark is the first nation in Europe—and in the world—to switch all well-treated rheumatoid arthritis patients from reference infliximab (Remicade) to the biosimilar Remsima, and 1 early study suggests that the switch has been successful. Patients, however, have needed convincing.
Healthcare Leaders Increasingly Rely on Generics to Control Drug Spending
June 17th 2017A new survey of 47 healthcare C-suite executives found that drug spending has increased among healthcare leaders. That trend, the report’s authors say, will only increase in the coming years, and health system leaders will need strategies to cope with the burden.
Nevada Governor Signs Insulin Price Transparency Bill, Strictest in Nation
June 16th 2017Republican Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval yesterday signed into law the country’s strictest requirements for drug companies to show how they set prices for certain prescription drugs, with a specific focus on insulin.
States Take the Lead in Advancing US Biopharma Industry Development
June 15th 2017States have taken the lead in advancing strategic policies and programs to attract, retain, and grow an innovative biopharmaceutical presence in the United States, according to a new report conducted for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), which represents leading US biopharmaceutical research companies.
Legal Experts Grapple With Implications of Sandoz v Amgen at the Summit on Biosimilars
June 15th 2017News of the landmark Supreme Court ruling in the case of Sandoz v Amgen broke during the Monday session of the 8th Annual Summit on Biosimilars, a meeting of legal and pharmaceutical industry professionals convened in New York City. In a previously scheduled—and swiftly updated—discussion of the case, a panel of attorneys grappled with the ruling and its implications for the industry.
BI Announces Positive Phase 3 Results for Its Biosimilar Adalimumab
June 15th 2017On Wednesday, Boehringer Ingelheim announced results from a phase 3 trial of its adalimumab biosimilar candidate, BI 695501. The study’s results showed that BI 695501 and AbbVie’s branded adalimumab, Humira, have similar clinical efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity in patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis.
Two New RA Switching Studies Show Biosimilars Safe, Efficacious
June 13th 2017Two new reports of clinical switching studies in which patients undergoing treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were switched to a biosimilar version of the respective drugs provide some reassurance about the safety and efficacy of biosimilar products for infliximab (Remicade).
ICER Report Recommends Patient Access to Dupilumab for Atopic Dermatitis
June 13th 2017The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has issued a report recommending that dupilumab (Dupixent) offers good long-term value and important clinical benefit for patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.
SCOTUS Reverses Federal Circuit Court Decision in Sandoz v Amgen on 180-Day Rule
June 12th 2017In a big win for Sandoz, the US Supreme Court ruled today that a manufacturer of a biosimilar product can provide a notice of commercial marketing either before or after FDA approval of the drug to the reference product developer.