Tag: biosimilars in the news

Trastuzumab Dosing May Be Given in Half the Time: Will Costs/Revenues Be Cut as Well?

An upcoming presentation at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting promises equal efficacy and much improved safety for patients with early-stage breast cancer receiving Herceptin®. This change in trastuzumab dosing from a 12-month to a 6-month regimen will have ramifications for patients, health systems, and manufacturers.

trastuzumab biosimilarA number of biosimilar drug makers are trying to be the first to enter the market for trastuzumab. Mylan/Biocon’s Ogivri™ (trastuzumab-dkst) is the only approved agent in the US, but it will not launch before 2019, owing to a licensing agreement with Roche. Amgen/Allergan is expecting word from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by May 28th on their own biosimilar version. Samsung Bioepis is also expecting a decision in the fourth quarter of this year. This new study could significantly lower anticipated revenues for these drug makers. The expected pricing pressures of the category (another 2 manufacturers are working through complete response letters from the FDA) will further add to lower revenue.

Trastuzumab Study Results: Half as Long Just as Good

This British study comprised over 4,000 women (median age, 56 yr) who were followed for more than five years. Patients were randomized to receive the originator trastuzumab for either six or 12 months, in addition to usual standard of care. The researchers found that the disease-free survival was 89.8% in the 12-month group compared with 89.4% for the 6-month group. However, the latter showed significantly fewer toxic effects of cancer therapy.

The wholesale acquisition cost for trastuzumab approaches $6,400 per month ($76,700 per 12-mo course). This may lower patients’ out-of-pocket costs, depending on how quickly they reach their cost-sharing maximums. Typically, women taking trastuzumab will be subject to a fixed copay (e.g., $300 per treatment) or a co-insurance (e.g., 20% or $1,280 per month) for this medication alone. Yet, even with the treatment duration being halved, some patients may reach their out-of-pocket maximums. This is the result of office visits, other medications to be taken, and other care related to the toxic side effects of chemotherapy.

Half the Duration but not Half the Costs

For payers and health systems, cost savings will be substantial, but not halved. Most of the costs will be incurred with the first 4 months of weekly therapy. After 12 to 18 weeks, treatments are stretched out to infusions every 3 weeks for the remainder of the regimen. For a 100-kg woman who would receive a total of 5,400 mg of trastuzumab over 52 weeks, this could be reduced to 3,666 mg over 26 weeks (–32%).

The real benefit, should these study results pass scrutiny of peer review and inclusion in practice guidelines, will be in the lower frequency of toxic adverse effects. According to its prescribing information, trastuzumab is associated with “left ventricular cardiac dysfunction, arrhythmias, hypertension, disabling 197 cardiac failure, cardiomyopathy, and cardiac death.” This can occur during therapy (causing discontinuation) or in the years after treatment is completed.

We hope that the good news represented by these study results for patients does not dissuade other manufacturers from seeking biosimilar trastuzumab approval.

Coherus Biosciences Shows Major Stock Gain Upon BLA Resubmission

When it received a June 2017 complete response letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the outlook for Coherus Biosciences was cloudy. Its lead product, a biosimilar for pegfilgrastim (CHS-1701), had been cited for the way the drug maker evaluated immunogenicity and for manufacturing plant issues. Upon receiving the news, it cut 30% of its workforce.

Furthermore, Coherus has had little luck in challenging the existing patents of originator products. It was denied inter partes review on a key patent held by Abbvie on Humira® as well as a patent on Enbrel® by Amgen.

Today, Coherus may be on the verge of a turnaround in fortunes

Armed with new immunogenicity data, Coherus resubmitted its 351(k) application with the FDA on May 3, and investors reacted strongly to its new prospects. The company’s stock price soared 17.3% for the dCoherus Biosciencesay, closing at $14.90. Its previous 52-week low was $8.05. Coherus is a U.S. manufacturer that is focused solely on biosimilar development (a “pure-play” biosimilar maker).

In the company’s announcement, Coherus reported that the new FDA application is “supported by similarity data from analytical, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamics, and immunogenicity studies comparing CHS-1701 and Neulasta and integrates new immunogenicity data obtained from using a more revised immunogenicity assay.” Mr. Lanfear said, “The CHS-1701 BLA resubmission marks a significant milestone in our ongoing transition to a commercial company as we tightly focus on execution of our strategic plan.”

In April, Coherus filed for a rehearing of the etanercept inter partes review.

Coherus originally filed its pegfilgrastim biosimilar application with the European Medicines Agency November 29, 2016. According to a report from early in 2018, Chief Executive Officer Denny Lanfear asserted that he hoped to receive EMA approval in the second half of 2018.

Payers’ Expectations for Biosimilars Reflect a Conflicted Environment

Hopeful but not enthusiastic. Preparing but not anticipating. Those are the impression one gets when speaking to medical directors and pharmacy directors of health plans, insurers, and pharmacy benefit managers about biosimilars today. Although savings associated with biosimilar use have been limited so far, one recently released survey of these payers revealed expectations that seem to reflect today’s environment.

payer expectations of biosimilarsIn December 2017, executives from the TPG-National Payer Round Table (NPRT) obtained 77 responses to their Web-based survey (a 31% response). At that time, only eight biosimilars had been approved (Pfizer’s Ixifi™ [infliximab] was not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration). Thirty-nine percent of the respondents were from national plans, 27% were from regional organizations, and the remainder were from local health plans.

Fifty-three percent of the respondents indicated a willingness to permit biosimilar use for all originator-approved indications, regardless of the FDA’s approved labeling. Twenty-five percent expected a biosimilar to be the only product covered on formulary. In order to enhance conversion and uptake, nearly half (48%) believe that the biosimilar will be associated with lower cost sharing than the originator. This could come in the form of a separate biosimilar tier, with a fixed copay or percent co-insurance that is significantly lower than that for the originator drug.

Uncertainty About When and How Much 

The study results were released as a poster at the 2018 annual meeting of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy last week. In an interview with Biosimilars Review & Report, Richard A. Brook, MS, MBA, Senior Vice President at TPG-NPRT, said, “Health plans generally expect their costs to go down with the use of biosimilars. However, a lot of uncertainty remains as to the timing and magnitude of these savings.”

Indeed, some of the respondents were quite cynical about the savings seen in 2018. Forty-five percent believe there will be less than 10% savings from biosimilars overall this year. A further 16% do not anticipate any savings from biosimilars. The picture brightens significantly when the timeframe is moved two years out—by 2020, 29% believe savings will exceed 20%, and 47% think that savings will be 10% to 20%. Only 2% think no savings will be accrued. This is likely in line with expectations that etanercept, pegfilgrastim, and some oncology biosimilars will be available for use by 2020.