News

Here are the top 5 biosimilar articles for the week of October 31, 2022.

A report from IQVIA recapped the US experience with Semglee, an insulin glargine biosimilar that has versions with and without an interchangeability designation, to help predict the adoption patterns of adalimumab biosimilars when they enter the market in 2023.

Two studies presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois, demonstrated the impact that a ranibizumab biosimilar (SB11; Byooviz) can have on patient outcomes.

Biosimilar and generic drugs accumulated $373 billion in savings in 2021, $7 billion of which can be attributed to biosimilars alone, according to a report from the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM).

October ushered in a number of policy updates, including the implementation of a biosimilars switching policy, the European Union declaration of biosimilars as interchangeable, and the reauthorization of the Biosimilars User Fee Act.

Ryan Haumschild, PharmD, MS, MBA, from Emory Healthcare and Winship Cancer Institute, offers advice to health systems on how they can incorporate some of Emory Healthcare's strategies to promote biosimilar uptake.

Authors of a systematic review summarized the results of 21 published studies on the efficacy, safety, and cost-benefit ratio of trastuzumab biosimilars in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer.

Here are the top 5 biosimilar articles for the week of October 24, 2022.

Similis Bio signed a licensing and codevelopment agreement with Blau Farmacêutica, allowing the latter to have exclusive development and marketing rights to 4 biosimilar assets in Latin America.

Ivo Abraham, PhD, chief scientist of Matrix45 and a professor at the University of Arizona, explores whether biosimilars should be considered a commodity and if the commodification of medications is sustainable as the market continues to expand.

Speakers during a LinkedIn Live panel discussion expressed a dire need for all stakeholders to work together to increase education efforts, provide clarity on safety and interchangeability, and encourage adoption of biosimilars in ophthalmology.

Genentech and Roche have voluntarily recalled their ophthalmology biobetter, Susvimo, an ocular implant for ranibizumab injection, in the United States for a possible leakage issue.

A report from Cardinal Health tells that rheumatologists are more familiar and confident in biosimilars compared with 2020, showing that education efforts are effective and that rheumatologists are more willing to prescribe biosimilars to their patients.

Here are the top 5 biosimilar articles for the week of October 17, 2022.

Saskatchewan joined 5 provinces and 1 territory in implementing a biosimilar switching policy, allowing for reference products to be switched out for biosimilars and lowering drug costs for the province’s public health plan.

After months of pressure and calls for action, President Biden reauthorized the Biosimilar User Fee Act, which will allow the FDA to assess and collect fees for biosimilars for the next 5 years.

Amgen’s ninth edition of its Biosimilar Trends Report explores the evolution of the US biosimilar industry, including current trends, predictions for the next few years, advice for stakeholders going forward, and insight into how reimbursement and other policies could develop.

Bio-Thera Solutions began a phase 1 trial for its mepolizumab biosimilar candidate; Biocon Biologics licenses out 2 biosimilars to Yoshindo; and Alvotech and STADA Arzneimittel launch Hukyndra, an adalimumab biosimilar, in Switzerland.

St John Skilton, PhD, vice president of product strategy and marketing at Protein Metrics, takes a deep dive into how the development of biosimilars is evolving and how tools, such as mass spectrometry, can help companies keep up with advancing technology.

In this podcast episode, Kathy Oubre, MS, CEO of Pontchartrain Cancer Center, discussed the stresses that practices and clinics face when trying to manage biosimilars as well as some policy considerations that administrators should keep in mind as more biosimilars enter the market and are added to formularies.

A study from the Republic of Korea confirmed the safety and efficacy of Herzuma (CT-P16) in patients with heavily pretreated human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer.

Here are the top 5 biosimilar articles for the week of October 10, 2022.

Nabil Saba, MD, a medical oncologist and immunotherapy specialist in the treatment of head and neck cancer at Emory Healthcare and the Winship Cancer Institute, explained how the eventual introduction of biosimilars for Opdivo (nivolumab) and Keytruda (pembrolizuamb) will help patients with head and neck cancer.

Biosimilars Canada, a national association representing the Canadian biosimilar industry, held a press conference calling on Ontario, the province containing the nation’s capital, to institute a biosimilars switching policy.

A new bill (HR 8877) introduced to the House of Representatives is seeking to remove barriers that prevent the substitution of reference products with interchangeable biosimilars to support utilization of and access to lower-cost therapies.

A placebo-controlled clinical trial found that rituximab biosimilar HLX01 in combination with methotrexate was successful at improving the clinical outcomes of patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis.

Here are the top 5 biosimilar articles for the week of October 3, 2022.

Recently, the US got 2 new biosimilars on the market, a bevacizumab and an interchangeable ranibizumab; Amneal Pharmaceuticals filed for marketing authorization in Europe; and Sandoz released positive results for a denosumab candidate.

Two posters presented at the annual conference of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) demonstrated positive phase 3 results for proposed biosimilars that reference blockbuster drug, Eylea (aflibercept).

Ryan Haumschild, PharmD, MS, MBA, from Emory Healthcare and Winship Cancer Institute, explains how stakeholders may view the economic value of biosimilars differently based on their goals and his predictions for how biosimilar utilization will develop in the future.