Skylar Jeremias

Samsung Bioepis and Biogen announced that Byooviz has launched on the US market as the first ranibizumab biosimilar referencing Lucentis, listed at a 40% discount compared with the originator.

The FDA approved Fylnetra, the fifth approval for a pegfilgrastim biosimilar in the United States.

May brought a number of biosimilar policy updates of all types, including updates on British Columbia's switching program, a new bill that could revamp biosimilar user fee programs, and insight into how companies are shaping their environmental policies around biosimilars.

Combatting misinformation surrounding interchangeability and incentivizing biosimilars are just some of the many things that can be done to ensure patients benefit from biosimilars savings, said Julie M. Reed, the executive director of the Biosimilars Forum.

Here are the top 5 biosimilar articles for the week of May 23, 2022.

The European Committee for Medicinal Products (CHMP) rejects Prestige Biopharma’s biosimilar referencing Herceptin; Prime Therapeutics’ plan to leverage biosimilars resulted in savings for patients; Samsung Biologics and AstraZeneca liquidated their joint venture (Archigen Biotech).

Alvotech released new data demonstrating the equivalence of its ustekinumab biosimilar (AVT04) to the reference product (Stelara) in patients with plaque psoriasis.

As drug companies continue to follow the growing trend adopting more environmentally friendly and socially conscious frameworks, many are choosing to highlight their biosimilar portfolios as an example of their efforts.

Viatris and Biocon Biologics announced the launch of their bevacizumab product, Abevmy, a biosimilar to Avastin, on the Canadian market.

The use of bevacizumab products for ophthalmic conditions will continue to evolve as the market grows. However, off-label usage will likely be the norm, according to Sonia T. Oskouei, PharmD, BCMAS, DPLA, vice president of biosimilars at Cardinal Health, at Asembia’s Specialty Pharmacy Summit.

Here are the top 5 biosimilar articles for the week of May 16, 2022.

New biosimilars are on the way, as JSR Life Sciences launches its business division (Similis Bio) that will improve efficiency and costs related to biosimilar development and Biocon Biologics signs a contract for commercialization in Malaysia.

Altering reimbursement procedures needs to become a bigger priority for government officials to incentivize biosimilar utilization, according to Eric Tichy, PharmD, MBA, vice chair of pharmacy formulary at the Mayo Clinic Health System.

The United Kingdom has approved Teva Pharmaceutical’s biosimilar (Ongavia) that references Lucentis (ranibizumab) for the treatment of several ophthalmic conditions.

In a pharmacokinetic study, Alvotech’s ustekinumab biosimilar referencing Stelara was shown to have comparable safety and efficacy to the reference product, according to the company’s preliminary results.

After agreeing to settle with Amgen over its oncology biosimilars, Pfizer issued a new patent lawsuit against 5 companies over the development of Brenzys, an etanercept biosimilar, in Australia.

Julie M. Reed, the executive director of the Biosimilars Forum, discusses how biosimilar savings can differ between stakeholders and the importance of competition for creating those savings.

Posters from the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)’s annual meeting examined the real-world patterns of biosimilar utilization and the impact of products that have been reclassified as biologics on Medicaid spending.

Here are the top 5 biosimilar articles for the week of May 9, 2022.

A new bill that would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act aims to expand FDA user fee programs for prescription drugs and medical devices, including biosimilars and generics.

Biocon’s total revenue for the fourth quarter of the 2022 fiscal year was up 21% from the same period in the prior year, largely due to significant growth in sales for the company’s biosimilar and generic drugs.

Amy Valley, vice president of clinical strategy and technology solutions at Cardinal Health, details the company's Decision Pathway, a health information technology (IT) tool that can assist practices with prescribing patients the lowest-cost product, including biosimilars.

Although the United States is looking to be one of the first countries to market an ophthalmology biosimilar, more education is needed to convince ophthalmologists of the safety and efficacy of biosimilars, said Cardinal Health's Sonia T. Oskouei, PharmD, BCMAS, DPLA.

Amgen’s earnings report for the first quarter of 2022 reveals that as some of its biosimilars experienced increased sales, its sales for reference products that are facing biosimilar competition decreased.

During the Coherus Biosciences earnings call, the company announced that it was terminating its licensing agreement with Innovent Biologics for Byvasda, a bevacizumab biosimilar candidate referencing Avastin.

Here are the top 5 biosimilar articles for the week of May 2, 2022.

A report on biosimilar uptake and existing policies signals that policy makers should proceed with caution when establishing new policies to boost biosimilar utilization and savings, as many patients and providers still have concerns on their usage.

The main takeaway from the House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on HHS's 2023 budget was that biosimilars were not mentioned as much as they should have been, said Julie M. Reed of the Biosimilars Forum.

Eric Tichy, PharmD, MBA, vice chair of pharmacy formulary at the Mayo Clinic Health System, discusses the importance of state legislation to boost biosimilar access and uptake.

New information on oncology biosimilars have sprouted during the month of April, including an FDA approval, study results from conferences, and data on pegfilgrastim biosimilar utilization and spending.