- Bone Health
- Immunology
- Hematology
- Respiratory
- Dermatology
- Diabetes
- Gastroenterology
- Neurology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Rare Disease
- Rheumatology
Vivian Bykerk, MD: Switching Patients to Biosimilars
Vivian Bykerk, MD, associate attending rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery, associate professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, discusses switching patients to biosimilars.
Transcript:
How are your patients responding to the idea of switching to a biosimilar from a reference biologic?
So, I think a person who’s barely controlled…I wouldn’t switch them, because I don’t know what’s going to happen. A person who is incredibly well controlled, I suspect there will be no problem. A person who’s on methotrexate and well controlled, where I suspect methotrexate is doing half the work, again, I don’t have any concern.
But, there are people who can’t use methotrexate, who are sort of hovering at the low disease activity mark and sometimes flare, but mostly they’re doing quite well. I wouldn’t switch those people, I wouldn’t touch them. So, I think that everyone needs to have some consensus about where it’s okay, where it’s possible, and where you just don’t change anything.
I think that, at this point, I know the insurance companies and the pharmacy benefit managers believe they are making good decisions for our patients, but they need to include the patient’s rheumatologist in the decision.
PBM Evolution Toward Value-Based Care Shifts to Transparent Pharmacy Pricing
March 30th 2025Josh Canavan, PharmD, RazorMetrics, and Chris O'Dell, Turquoise Health, predict pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) will evolve toward value-based care, mirroring the broader shift toward open-cost structures.
How AI Can Help Address Cost-Related Nonadherence to Biologic, Biosimilar Treatment
March 9th 2025Despite saving billions, biosimilars still account for only a small share of the biologics market—what's standing in the way of broader adoption and how can artificial intelligence (AI) help change that?
Empowering Vulnerable Populations: The Path to Equitable Biologic Therapy Access
December 22nd 2024Elie 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.
Biosimilars in America: Overcoming Barriers and Maximizing Impact
July 21st 2024Join us as we explore the complexities of the US biosimilars market, discussing legislative influences, payer and provider adoption factors, and strategies to overcome industry challenges with expert insights from Kyle Noonan, PharmD, MS, value & access strategy manager at Cencora.
Can Global Policies to Boost Biosimilar Adoption Work in the US?
November 17th 2024On this special episode of Not So Different honoring Global Biosimilars Week, Craig Burton, executive director of the Biosimilars Council, explores how global policies—from incentives to health equity strategies—could boost biosimilar adoption in the US.
Q&A With Dr Chelsee Jensen: Navigating FDA Approvals, Challenges in the Biosimilar Landscape
January 14th 2024Chelsee Jensen, PharmD, BCPS, senior pharmacy specialist and pharmaceutical formulary manager at Mayo Clinic, reacts to the biggest FDA approvals of 2023 and how she sees the adalimumab, natalizumab, and tocilizumab spaces playing out.
