We tend to think of challenges to uptake of approved and marketed biosimilars coming from three areas: (1) the reference product manufacturers, (2) the physicians, and (3) the patients. The patent mazes and rebating strategies characterize the first, and patient advocates’ questions about nonmedical switching describe the last. Physician resistance, however, seems to be on the wane.
I was pleasantly surprised by conversations with health system chief medical officers and medical group administrators speaking about biosimilar implementation and adoption at the annual meeting of the American Medical Group Association last week in Phoenix. If this is any indication, the i
nitial trepidation of US physicians in using biosimilars in treatment-naïve patients is melting away. Medical society endorsement of the effectiveness of biosimilars and promises of significant cost savings seem to be convincing arguments on physician side. Of course, switching of a reference medication for a biosimilar in a patient established on treatment with the reference product remains another story.
Some of the physicians came to learn about biosimilars rather than share their experiences. They may or may not have been aware of the extensive European experience with specific biosimilar agents and drug classes, but they were willing to accept that (1) if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved the biosimilar, they expect it to be safe and effective and (2) that extrapolation would not be an issue if FDA approved the label. The use of biosimilars for nonapproved indications would be left up to individual physicians (and payers’ prior authorization systems).
It was clear that the potential of biosimilars to save their patients money was of paramount importance. This may signal a changing view that issues regarding safety and efficacy of approved biosimilars will be preempted by the need to address economic needs in initial prescribing for new patients.
There is also an indication that large medical groups and some health systems are willing to leave the decision making to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. If the P&T Committee places the biosimilar on the formulary, and it is a savings for their new patients, the biosimilar will be used. That also means that biosimilar adoption at this level will be seriously aided by the use of lower cost-sharing tiers for biosimilars. In other words, a separate biosimilar tier that requires less copayment or coinsurance than the reference product could be a real boost to patient use.
In other biosimilar news…Michigan’s governor has signed legislation making it the 37th state to expand its pharmacy laws to allow interchangeable biosimilar substitution. Now if there were only an interchangeable biosimilar to substitute!
Coherus Biosciences announced that it believes that it will obtain FDA approval and commercial launch for its delayed pegfilgrastim biosimilar in the second half of 2018, along with European approval during the same timeframe.
Pfenex disclosed that it is seeking partners for its own pegfilgrastim biosimilar, in addition to its biosimilar candidate to Lucentis®. Its stock price has taken a steep jump in recent weeks, rising to over $6 a share (from $4) since the beginning of March.
