A recent survey shows that some patients have greater concerns about automatic substitution of biosimilar products than they do about the high cost of biologic drugs.
A recent survey shows that some patients have greater concerns about automatic substitution of biosimilar products than they do about the high cost of biologic drugs.
The survey, conducted by the Canadian group Consumer Advocare Network from May to June 2017, assessed the views of 588 patients, half of whom were currently taking a biologic medicine. The patients had been diagnosed with diseases including arthritis, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, cancers, and rare diseases. The survey found the following:
“The bottom line is that patients want to be sure that the biologic medicines they are taking have been tested for their condition, they have a choice as to which biologic is prescribed, and what they are prescribed is what they get,” Consumer Advocare Network said in its press release announcing the survey results.
Automatic substitution is the norm in Canada, where lower-cost products may be automatically substituted for reference products. In the United States, however, 33 states and Puerto Rico have taken legislative action concerning biosimilar substitution, with most states prohibiting automatic substitution and protecting the physician-patient relationship by ensuring communication concerning substitution of a biosimilar for a reference drug.
Despite patients’ concerns about being moved to biosimilars against their will, and despite legislative action seeking to leave choices concerning the use of biosimilars in the hands of physicians, other factors—such as formulary design—could push patients from reference products to biosimilars.
This week, Express Scripts, a leading pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), released its 2018 National Preferred Formulary. This updated formulary introduces several drug exclusions, including replacing filgrastim (Neupogen) with its competitors, TBO-filgrastim (Granix) and the biosimilar fligrastim-sndz (Zarxio).
The company notes that it is also considering changes to drugs treating inflammatory conditions, and that it could expand the list of excluded products to include such treatments when it releases its final 2018 list on or before September 15, 2017. It remains to be seen whether Merck and Samsung Bioepis’ newly launched infliximab biosimilar, Renflexis (introduced at a 35% discount to the reference Remicade), could push the originator product off formularies, leaving patients and providers with fewer, yet cheaper, options for biologic treatment.
Budget Impact Analysis of Biosimilar Natalizumab in the US
Projected savings from biosimilar natalizumab were $452,611 over 3 years, driven by decreased drug acquisition costs and a utilization shift from reference to biosimilar natalizumab.
Biosimilars in America: Overcoming Barriers and Maximizing Impact
July 21st 2024Join us as we explore the complexities of the US biosimilars market, discussing legislative influences, payer and provider adoption factors, and strategies to overcome industry challenges with expert insights from Kyle Noonan, PharmD, MS, value & access strategy manager at Cencora.
Real-World Study: No Increase in Health Resource Costs After Infliximab Biosimilar Introduction
July 20th 2024Although biosimilars reduce drug purchasing costs for hospitals, it’s unclear whether those savings might be offset by increased health resource utilization following a non-medical switching initiative.
Biosimilars Policy Roundup for April 2024—Podcast Edition
May 5th 2024On this episode of Not So Different, The Center for Biosimilars® glances back at all the major biosimilar policy updates from April, including 2 FDA approvals, 1 European approval, and several insights into possible policy changes from the Festival of Biologics USA conference.
Hesitancy in MENA Nations to Adopt WHO Biosimilar Guidelines Hinders Market Development
July 17th 2024The World Health Organization’s (WHO) new guidelines for biosimilar approvals aim to save time and money for manufacturers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), but hesitancy among nations to adopt the guidelines is stifling market development of biosimilars.