News

Payers defend their policies on biosimilars in ophthalmic settings following allegations from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

"[Payers] are incorrectly assuming that biosimilars of bevacizumab are going to behave the same as Avastin in the eye, and they’re making that assumption with absolutely no data," contends George Williams, MD, clinical spokesperson and past president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

Health care systems need to consistently reevaluate whether the biosimilars they utilize are the most cost-effective, Neal Dave, PharmD, the executive director of pharmacy at Texas Oncology, explains.

The road to production of biosimilar messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines could be very swift compared with the experience for other biologics. With fewer intellectual property restrictions, small manufacturers could step right in, according to Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD.

After a delay caused by a manufacturing shift, Formycon and Bioeq are back on track with their ranibizumab biologics license application (BLA), and their partner Coherus BioSciences is aligned for US commercialization.

Here are the top 5 biosimilar articles for the week of August 2, 2021.

Amgen reported a strong increase in biosimilar sales for the year but said competition is forcing down prices and affecting revenues for its originator products, too.

A supply chain shortage of Avastin (bevacizumab) is prompting policies for use of bevacizumab biosimilars instead, which the American Academy of Ophthalmology says could lead to problems.

When it comes to exports, Celltrion Healthcare leads the way among Republic of Korea pharmaceuticals producers. The company's biosimilars are the leading exports.

The average net price of all insulin glargine products decreased between 2015 and 2020 following the steady price increase seen for Lantus from 2010 to 2014.

Paul Cornes, BM, BCH, MA, MRCP, FRCR, a consultant oncologist and biosimilars expert, explains the relevance of differences between biosimilars and reference biologics.

Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, discusses the regulatory approval of future messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, which will likely face fewer patent issues and are easy to replicate.

Here are the top 5 biosimilar articles for the week of July 26, 2021.

The approval of Biocon Biologics and Viatris' insulin glargine product as an interchangeable biosimilar will be a test of whether such designations can make a difference in patient access, Jeff Baldetti, MBA, of Cardinal Health explains.

After much anticipation, the FDA approves the first interchangeable biosimilar, which is hoped to bring down the high cost of insulin.

Pfizer reported strong sales for its biosimilars portfolio, but these were eclipsed by the massive success of the company's mRNA vaccine for COVID-19.

BioFactura looks to join the ustekinumab biosimilar race and Cardinal Health provides an interactive tool with state-by-state interchangeable rules.

Kashyap B. Patel, MD, says value of care is an important metric, but often people lose sight of what patients have to pay out of pocket, and how this affects them.

Biosimilar uptake could be more robust in the United States if the FDA can be convinced that biosimilars are worth the effort, according to Rep Kurt Schrader, D-Oregon.

Concomitant use of immunomodulators and dosage are important variables in the development of antidrug antibodies (ADAs) for patients receiving infliximab for Crohn disease, investigators report.

The Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA) provides a stepwise approach for fact-finding prior to patent litigation, but companies may choose their own path, case examples show.

Biocon reports on its revenues from biosimilars and the FDA status of its insulin glargine product.

Here are the top 5 biosimilar articles for the week of July 19, 2021.

Without disclosing terms, Pfizer said it has settled with Johnson & Johnson (J&J) over a long-running dispute in which J&J was alleged to have blocked payers from covering Inflectra.

Shanghai Henlius Biotech initiates a trial for patients with macular degeneration while Dong-A ST and Meiji Seika Pharma agree on a distribution plan for a ustekinumab biosimilar candidate.

China has approved a product for rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn disease that Mabpharm and Sorrento Therapteutics say is an improvement on infliximab.

Pharmacokinetic, safety, and efficacy findings for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were presented at the European Crohn's and Colitis Organization's annual meeting.

COVID-19 exposed a lot of holes in the public health safety net. An Amgen panel focused on ways to extend the reach of US medicine to make it more inclusive.

Samsung Bioepis launches a potential pivotal trial for its SB17 ustekinumab biosimilar candidate.

Amgen's advertising appeared to push doctors and patients away from the prefilled syringe version of its pegfilgrastim (Neulasta) product, which may have a better sales future than the Onpro.