A recently published study found that the auto-injector device used to deliver a biosimilar etanercept was preferable to the auto-injector device used to deliver reference etanercept (Enbrel) among patients with rheumatoid arthritis and healthcare providers who treat patients with RA.
A recently published study found that the auto-injector device used to deliver a biosimilar etanercept was preferable to the auto-injector device used to deliver reference etanercept (Enbrel) among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and healthcare providers who treat patients with RA.
The study, funded by Merck, sponsor of the biosimilar etanercept product (Brenzys, which is also marketed as Benepali) compared the biosimilar’s auto-injector—which has no push button requiring use of the patient’s thumb, which allows 1-handed delivery, and which allows for visual and auditory confirmation of dose delivery—with the auto-injector of the reference etanercept. The study, conducted in Canada and Australia, was a counterbalanced crossover trial in which patients with RA (n = 191) and healthcare professionals (HCPs), comprising nurses and rheumatologists (n = 90), injected both devices into pads representing skin and reported on the ease of use.
All participants were blinded to the study sponsor. The researchers presented each participant with both devices in a counterbalanced order among participants. After receiving a demonstration, participants used both devices, then completed a forced-choice questionnaire.
The survey results for patients, of whom 157 (82.2%) were naïve to auto-injector experience for RA, were as follows:
Results for the HCPs were as follows:
The study’s authors note that their trial was limited by the fact that patients injected into a pad rather than into themselves, and also that participants used each auto-injector once rather than over the course of many doses of therapy, as preference patterns could vary with repeated use.
The researchers concluded that patients with RA and HCPs with experience in treating patients with RA indicated an overall preference for the biosimilar etanercept’s auto-injector device, and that the preference extended to various aspects of use. The researchers say that these findings can be used to understand the real-world experiences of patients who use such devices, and that healthcare stakeholders can use these results to make informed decisions when selecting an etanercept product for the management of RA.
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