In a recent study, researchers designed an intervention centered on communication and led by nurses to address discontinuation rates among patients who had switched to a biosimilar. The nurses’ insight and experience reduced the nocebo effect during the intervention, which had an 84% retention rate for patients taking a biosimilar after one year.
TORONTO/MONTREAL (Reuters)—The Canadian province of British Columbia said on May 28 that its public drug plan will switch as many as 20,400 patients from three branded biologic drugs to cheap near-copies called biosimilars, saving an estimated C$96.6 million ($71.9 million) over three years. The new policy from the province’s PharmaCare program targets Johnson & Johnson’s…
Health Canada has approved Erelzi, which is biosimilar to Enbrel (etanercept), for treating psoriatic arthritis in adults…
In late July, the European Commission granted marketing approval for Hyrimoz, which is biosimilar to adalimumab…
Although six biosimilar agents have now been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for use in rheumatology, scientific, clinical, economic and prescribing questions about the use of biosimilars abound. In fact, at the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting in San Diego, Joseph Huffstutter, MD, a rheumatologist in private practice in Chattanooga, Tenn., said that…
During the 2017 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, advances in biosimilar treatments were abuzz. However, many speakers noted that the presence of biosimilars on the market has not yet resulted in greater access to treatment and lower drug pricing in the U.S…
Patients who receive abaloparatide and switch to alendronate have a statistically significant reduction in fracture risk through 3.5 years, according to a new study…
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday cut the time it will take for copycat versions of biologic drugs to get to the market in a pivotal ruling about an expensive class of medicines that can yield billions of dollars in sales for drug companies. The justices, in a 9–0 ruling, overturned a lower court…
On March 22, 2017, Ewa Olech, MD, testified at a hearing before the Nevada State Assembly to voice support for A.B. 245, a bill governing biologic medications and biosimilar substitution in that state. She spoke on behalf of the Rheumatology Association of Nevada (RAN), as its president and founder. The bill establishes guidelines regarding biosimilars and requires…
NEW YORK (Reuters)—The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a dispute over whether companies that make copycat versions of biologic drugs must wait six months after winning federal approval to begin selling them. The justices will take up an appeal by Novartis AG of a 2015 federal appeals court decision that prevented the…