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A recent study highlights that although biosimilars have led to significant price reductions, originator products with sole preferred coverage strategies have maintained market share, suggesting that increased biosimilar uptake alone may not fully leverage the market's competitive and cost-saving potential.

On this episode of Not So Different, the end of the second quarter brings with it expense reports, new biosimilar business deals, and insights into how federal policy impacts biosimilar company pursuits.

With the end of the second quarter comes expense reports, new biosimilar business deals, and insights into how federal policy impacts biosimilar company pursuits.

Market remonopolization by a biosimilar drug in Poland led to significant price increases for etanercept, resulting in over €3.42 million in excess health care costs, according to a recent study.

Sandoz’ earnings report for the first half of 2024 revealed 29% growth in biosimilar revenue, as well as a 7% increase in net sales, showcasing the value of biosimilars for biopharmaceutical manufacturers.

Alvotech reported $236 million in revenue for the first 6 months of 2024, a 10-fold increase from the same period the year prior. The new figures come after the company received its first 2 FDA approvals in 2024.

Celltrion's adalimumab-aaty biosimilar is now accessible for all Costco members, while Amgen sues Samsung Bioepis over the latter’s denosumab biosimilar candidate, and GlycoNex progresses its denosumab biosimilar SPD8 to phase 3 trials.

CMS announced negotiated prices for 10 drugs under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), sparking mixed reactions, with concerns that including drugs facing imminent biosimilar competition could hinder market access to lower-cost alternatives.

Formycon's first half 2024 revenue was €26.9 million, boosted by its ranibizumab biosimilar sales but down from last year due to fewer upfront payments and deferred success payments.

Products in line to face biosimilar competition are projected to increase their list prices in advance, according to Vizient’s Pharmacy Market Outlook Report for Summer 2024.

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.

Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) partners with GoodRx to offer its unbranded adalimumab biosimilar to patients at an exclusive low price; a new ustekinumab biosimilar launches in Europe; and Mexican officials approve a bevacizumab biosimilar.

As Celltrion publishes phase 3 data on its tocilizumab biosimilar, other companies finalize partnerships, and Formycon begins development for a pembrolizumab biosimilar.

Authors of an integrated literature review identified 7 themes that help stakeholders define the value of biosimilar portfolios beyond cost savings, which could provide stakeholders better clarity as to the value of a biosimilar portfolio vs a single biosimilar within a portfolio.

American and European regulatory agencies have provided companies with good news, with several biosimilar candidates seeing application acceptances or approvals in Europe.

Alvotech and Teva have launched Simlandi in the US; Xbrane Biopharma and STADA Arzneimitel partner with Valorum Biologics to bring a ranibizumab biosimilar to the US; Boehringer Ingelheim and Celltrion take steps to expand access to their respective adalimumab biosimilars.

In the IQVIA Use of Medicines in the US 2024 report, biosimilars were found to be large contributors to lower drug costs and drivers of market growth; however, these products account for about 23% of the overall biologics market, showing wide variation in uptake across molecules.

As Indian pharmaceutical companies supplied 4 of every 10 prescriptions in the US in 2022, generating $1.3 trillion in health care savings, a new IQVIA report highlights concerns about supply chain risks and advocates for partnerships to bolster biosimilar security and overall supply chain resilience.

Cordavis, a CVS Healthspire company, released a report detailing the current hurdles faced in developing and commercializing biosimilars in the US and highlighting efforts by the organization to enhance access and affordability for these products.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

In its earnings report for the fourth quarter and full year of 2023, Coherus Biosciences detailed its rising revenue growth, which it partly attributed to increased sales for its pegfilgrastim and ranibizumab biosimilars.

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.

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.