The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) explains that, compared with anti–tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs, both guselkumab and risankizumab offered a superior benefit based on currently available data.
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) released a Final Condition Update report and a Report-at-a-Glance on immunomodulators for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.
The updated report incorporates new clinical data and cost information for therapies that have been previously reviewed, as well as analyses of more recently approved medications such as guselkumab (Tremfya), tildrakizumab (Ilumya) and certolizumab pegol (Cimzia). Also included within the report were data on risankizumab, which is currently under review by the FDA.
Click here to read more about IL-23 inhibitors.
At a July 2018 public meeting of the New England Comparative Effectiveness Public Advisory Council, the group voted that, compared with anti—tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs, both guselkumab and risankizumab offered a superior benefit based on currently available data.
“Similar to the findings of our 2016 report, we again found that many targeted therapies offer benefit over non-targeted therapies, and we are able to further clarify which agents may be most effective,” said Dan Ollendorf, PhD, ICER’s Chief Scientific Officer in a statement.
In addition to the clinical benefits of these medications, ICER recognized that these therapies appear to reduce complexity of care, reduce burdens on family members and caregivers, and improve patients’ ability to work. The report also noted that these therapies use a novel mechanism of action, which allows for new treatments to be effective for patients for whom previous therapies have failed.
However, ICER noted that the evidence was not adequate to show a net health benefit of tildrakizumab compared with anti-TNF agents, or of the anti-TNF agent certolizumab pegol over other subcutaneously administered TNF inhibitors, such as adalimumab (Humira) and etanercept (Enbrel).
Based on the findings of the report, ICER updated its policy recommendations to say that insurers should consider the limitation or cancellation of step therapy approaches to coverage for these drugs, as patients and clinicians have reiterated that step therapy delays improvements to patients’ quality of life. Manufacturers, it adds, should be transparent in the rationale for any increases in drug prices.
“While many of these therapies currently represent reasonable value, patients continue to face insurance barriers that interfere with their access to these potentially life-changing therapies, and recent price increases for many agents may further limit access,” said Ollendorf.
The Trump Administration’s Drug Price Actions and Why US Prices Are Already Sky-High
May 17th 2025While the Trump administration’s latest executive order touts sweeping drug price cuts through international benchmarking, the broader pharmaceutical pricing crisis in the US reveals a far more complex web of development costs, profit incentives, and absent price controls—raising the question of whether any single policy, including potential drug tariffs, can truly untangle it.
Escaping the Void: All Things Biosimilars With Craig & G
May 4th 2025To close out the Festival of Biologics, Craig Burton and Giuseppe Randazzo from the Association for Accessible Medicines and the Biosimilars Council tackle the current biosimilar landscape and how the industry can emerge from the "biosimilar void."
Paving the Way for Equitable Biosimilar Access in Australian Dermatology Clinics
May 13th 2025Australia’s growing reliance on high-cost biologics for inflammatory skin diseases has placed significant pressure on its health system—but a new report suggests biosimilars could offer financial relief, provided uptake barriers are addressed through policy reform and education.
How AI Can Help Address Cost-Related Nonadherence to Biologic, Biosimilar Treatment
March 9th 2025Despite saving billions, biosimilars still account for only a small share of the biologics market—what's standing in the way of broader adoption and how can artificial intelligence (AI) help change that?
Samsung Bioepis Report Signals Turning Point for US Biosimilars
May 1st 2025A wave of biosimilar approvals, aggressive pricing strategies, and a regulatory sea change are setting the stage for unprecedented momentum in the US biologics market, with 2025 already proving to be a landmark year in reshaping cost, access, and innovation across therapeutic areas.