Skylar Jeremias

The 2024 surge in FDA approvals for aflibercept biosimilars reflects significant progress in offering cost-effective treatments for retinal conditions like neovascular age-related macular degeneration, although patent disputes pose challenges to their market entry and adoption.

The top 5 rheumatology biosimilar articles of 2024 highlight significant FDA approvals, including high-concentration adalimumab and tocilizumab biosimilars, along with evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of biosimilar-to-biosimilar switching.

On this episode of Not So Different, we reflect on 2024 and this show in particular, taking audiences back through the most popular podcast episodes of the year.

The top biosimilar policy articles of 2024 highlight advancements that include FDA guidance to simplify biosimilar interchangeability and CMS drug price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act, alongside challenges posed by pharmacy benefit manager rebate practices and the need for more active stakeholder engagement.

Elie Bahou, PharmD, highlights how vertical integration in the biosimilar industry streamlines costs, improves supply reliability, accelerates market adoption, and enhances patient access, while emphasizing the value of collaboration, quality control, and value-based contracts for sustainable health care delivery.

The top 5 biosimilar conference articles in 2024 highlight significant progress in the biosimilar landscape, including strategies for market sustainability, safety of switching to biosimilars, and substantial savings through high biosimilar adoption, while also addressing ongoing challenges.

In 2024, significant biosimilar approvals were granted by the American and European regulatory agencies, including the first interchangeability designations for biosimilars referencing ustekinumab, adalimumab, denosumab, and aflibercept, marking key regulatory milestones in improving patient access to cost-effective treatments.

The top 5 oncology biosimilar articles in 2024 cover Duke's recommendations for cell and gene therapy biosimilars, FDA approval of Shanghai Henlius Biotech's trastuzumab biosimilar, Boehringer Ingelheim layoffs, the safety of rituximab biosimilar CT-P10, and more.

The top legal stories in biosimilars from 2024 emphasize the ongoing struggle between ensuring timely patient access and addressing challenges like litigation, regulatory hurdles, and patent disputes that shape the competitive landscape of affordable biologics.

Elie Bahou, PharmD, senior vice president and system chief pharmacy officer at Providence, discusses strategies to improve equitable access to biologic therapies, including tiered formularies, income-based cost sharing, patient assistance programs, and fostering payer partnerships.

The top gastroenterology biosimilar news from 2024 highlight fluctuations in the adalimumab biosimilar market throughout the year, while FDA and European approvals for ustekinumab biosimilars are set to improve access and reduce costs for patients with Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis.

The FDA approved Celltrion's Steqeyma (ustekinumab-stba), making it the seventh biosimilar slated to compete against blockbuster Stelara (reference ustekinumab) in 2025.

Recent discussions at an Institute for Value-Based Medicine event highlighted the significant potential of biosimilars in reshaping the health care landscape, despite facing considerable barriers to adoption.

A systematic review identified 13 strategies, including patient and provider education, empathetic communication, and shared decision-making, to mitigate the nocebo effect in biosimilar switching, emphasizing the need for a multifaceted approach to improve patient perceptions and therapeutic outcomes.

A recent study showed similar safety and efficacy of a bevacizumab biosimilar compared with the reference product (Avastin) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC).

Health Canada has approved Omlyclo, the first omalizumab biosimilar in Canada, for the treatment of chronic idiopathic urticaria, allergic asthma, and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, based on a phase 3 study confirming its bioequivalence to the reference product.

Elie Bahou, PharmD, senior vice president and system chief pharmacy officer at Providence, discussed barriers to biosimilar adoption and highlighted strategies such as physician education, streamlined implementation, payer collaboration, and patient engagement to improve access, reduce costs, and enhance adherence to biologic therapies.

Sandoz's biosimilar denosumab (Jubbonti/Wyost) has demonstrated analytical, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and clinical equivalence to reference denosumab (Prolia/Xgeva), supporting its approval and extrapolation to all approved indications.

Alvotech and Advanz Pharma have submitted a European marketing application for their golimumab biosimilar to treat inflammatory diseases, while Celltrion secured Korean approval for denosumab biosimilars, and Intas Pharmaceuticals partnered with Xbrane Biopharma on a nivolumab biosimilar.

The proposed pertuzumab biosimilar QL1209 demonstrated equivalent efficacy and safety to reference pertuzumab (Perjeta) in neoadjuvant treatment of HER2-positive, ER/PR-negative early or locally advanced breast cancer, offering a cost-effective alternative with comparable clinical outcomes.

Steve Pickette, PharmD, BCPS, emphasizes that AI can streamline prescribing and formulary management for biosimilars and generics, enhance provider engagement, and improve pharmacovigilance by tracking adoption rates and identifying potential issues.

Researchers observe significant shifts in payer preferences for originator vs biosimilar products from 2017 to 2022, revealing growing payer interest in multiple product options, alongside the increasing market share of biosimilars, which contributed to notable reductions in both average sales prices and wholesale acquisition costs.

The study highlights the safety, efficacy, and cost benefits of infliximab biosimilars in managing pediatric noninfectious uveitis, showing fewer disease flares and reduced costs compared with reference infliximab, as well as the influence of insurance mandates on treatment decisions.

The approval marks the sixth biosimilar to reference Stelara (ustekinumab), and it will be used to treat several immunology conditions, including psoriatic arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

On this episode of Not So Different, we discuss market changes in the adalimumab space; calls for PBM transparency and biosimilar access reforms grew; new data for biosimilars in gastroenterology conditions; and all the takeaways from this year's Global Biosimilars Week.

In November 2024, Skyrizi surpassed Humira as AbbVie's top seller; calls for PBM transparency and biosimilar access reforms grew; Celltrion expanded its portfolio; and Global Biosimilars Week focused on improving affordability and equity.

Bevacizumab biosimilars have the potential to expand access and reduce costs without compromising patient outcomes in advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

The study findings demonstrate that the aflibercept biosimilar MYL-1701P is as effective and safe as the reference aflibercept in treating diabetic macular edema (DME), offering a promising option for reducing treatment costs and improving global access to care for patients with DME.

The phase 3 trial (NCT04966338) found that a biosimilar ocrelizumab candidate (Xacrel) was equivalent to Ocrevus in reducing the annualized relapse rate and showed comparable safety and efficacy in treating relapsing multiple sclerosis over 96 weeks.

Few biologics in the US have multiple biosimilar competitors, but originator biologics respond quickly to competition by increasing rebates and lowering net prices, despite short approval-to-launch timelines for biosimilars.