Skylar Jeremias

The FDA approved a high-concentration, citrate-free version of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Cyltezo (adalimumab-adbm), making it the second high-concentration adalimumab biosimilar to have an interchangeability designation.

April brought 2 FDA approvals, 1 European approval, and several insights into possible policy changes from the Festival of Biologics USA conference.

During her presentation during Festival of Biologics USA, Sophia Humphreys, PharmD, director of formulary management at Sutter Health, gave an overview of current challenges and opportunities for the biosimilar market and offered calls to action for multiple stakeholders.

The approval marks the sixth for a biosimilar referencing Herceptin (trastuzumab) for the treatment of HER2-positive breast and gastric cancers.

The European Union gained a new ustekinumab biosimilar; Alvotech released positive results from a clinical trial evaluating a golimumab biosimilar and the reference products (Simponi and Simponi Aria), and Evernorth announced that it is set to cover an adalimumab biosimilar at zero cost to patients.

Formycon, a Germany-based biosimilar manufacturer, shared that its revenues for 2023 were 83% higher than in 2022, reaching a total of €77.7 million, according to its annual earnings report.

Two posters from the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) annual meeting explore how an interchangeable insulin glargine biosimilar plays into Medicaid budgets and the top factors driving access to biosimilars.

Thanks to high biosimilar adoption rates within the community oncology setting, American Oncology Network (AON) saved upwards of $243 million between 2020 and 2023, according to a presentation at the Festival of Biologics USA conference in San Diego, California.

Julie Reed, executive director of the Biosimilars Forum, showcases how the biosimilar industry is expected to develop throughout 2024, including major policy changes and hope for continued improvement in market share for adalimumab biosimilars.

Alvotech’s Selarsdi (ustekinumab-aekn), a biosimilar referencing Stelara (ustekinumab), gained FDA approval, making it the second ustekinumab biosimilar and second for the company to be given the green light for the American market.

Magnus Bodin, senior director and head of international access and policy at Biogen, presented warning signs for unsustainable biosimilar markets as well as key factors needed to create effective policies and future-proof biosimilar markets globally.

The global biosimilar market is projected to surge from $25.1 billion in 2022 to approximately $1.3 trillion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of 17.6%, driven mainly by the increasing prevalence of cancer and the cost-effectiveness of biosimilars, as outlined in a report by Towards Healthcare.

A report from the Biosimilars Council evaluating IQVIA data found that rebate schemes orchestrated by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are costing US patients and payers billions of dollars by suppressing biosimilar adoption.

Data from 2021 and 2022 indicates increasing biosimilar use in an Italian health care company, with potential for full adoption in the future, benefiting both the National Health System and citizens through efficient and sustainable health care policies.

After poor sales for its adalimumab biosimilar, Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) announces layoffs; Teva Pharmaceuticals and mAbxience partner on an oncology biosimilar; Samsung Bioepis begins a phase 3 trial for a biosimilar referencing Keytruda (pembrolizumab).

A Chinese company has expressed interest in developing a biosimilar to Ozempic (semaglutide); Celltrion completed its biologic license application for its omalizumab biosimilar candidate.

Although tender systems are a common strategy to encourage biosimilar utilization across Europe, policies like automatic substitution are rarely utilized, according to a systematic review of European policies and biosimilar uptake.

Between new data coming out of conferences, new insights into adalimumab biosimilars, and a study evaluating the impact of biosimilars on patient out-of-pocket costs, the biosimilar space had a very eventful March.

On this episode of Not So Different, The Center for Biosimilars® discusses all the conference coverage, adalimumab data, and market insights to come out of the biosimilar dermatology space in March 2024.

Despite more biosimilars entering the market and generating significant savings for payers and health care systems, these savings are not resulting in lower out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for patients, according to a recent study.

The Association for Accessible Medicines’ report on Medicare Part D tiering revealed low coverage rates for insulin and adalimumab biosimilars across plans.

Two senators reintroduce the Increasing Access to Biosimilars Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at boosting competition and encouraging providers to prescribe biosimilars, to Congress.

In its latest earnings report, Sandoz championed 7% growth overall throughout 2023, including a 15% spike in biosimilar revenues.

Two posters presented at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) annual meeting examined the effects of switching from reference ustekinumab and adalimumab to biosimilar versions in patients with different types of psoriasis.

Government policies, including those related to prescribing incentives and interchangeability, need to be reworked to encourage biosimilar adoption and create meaningful savings for health systems, according to speakers at a recent webinar.

On this episode of Not So Different, Ha Kung Wong, JD, an intellectual patent attorney and partner at Venable LLP, details the confusing landscape that is the US patent system and how it can be improved to help companies overcome barriers to biosimilar competition.

Posters from Association of Cancer Care Centers 50th Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit (AMCCBS) and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) highlight the benefits of incorporating biosimilars into electronic medical records and the biggest barriers for home injection of biologics.

A review looking back at the last 15 years of experience with the first filgrastim biosimilar (Zarxio) provides a detailed overview on how filgrastim biosimilars came to be and the evidence behind why oncologists have come to accept them as standard practice.

The FDA has approved Fresenius Kabi's tocilizumab biosimilar (Tyenne; tocilizumab-aazg), making it the second tocilizumab biosimilar overall and first tocilizumab biosimilar to be approved with both intravenous and subcutaneous administration options.

Biocon Biologics settled with the maker of Eylea (aflibercept), announcing a launch date for its biosimilar competitor in Canada; Sandoz has officially acquired Cimerli, a ranibizumab biosimilar; AARP Medicare Rx from United Healthcare has added Cyltezo (adalimumab-adbm) and removed the originator (Humira) from its formulary.