When Pfizer first announced its lawsuit against Janssen’s parent Johnson & Johnson in September 2017, it pointed to exclusionary contracting, “anticompetitive" behavior of Remicade®’s maker as the reason for its very limited market access. The lawsuit claimed that Janssen has withheld or threatened to withhold rebates if payers do not keep Remicade in an exclusive … Continue reading Pfizer’s Anticompetitive Suit: A Slippery Slope to Competitive Bidding?
Tag: Janssen
Biosimilars and Drug Rebates: A Foot in the Door to Access?
At the September 5–7, 2018 GRx+Biosims meeting, I had the opportunity to moderate a session with three highly experienced biosimilar industry executives. They included Gary Deeb, Senior Vice President, Global Licensing and Business Development, Lupin Pharmaceuticals; Chrys Kokino, MBA, Head Global Biologics— Commercial, Mylan; and Mike Woolcock, MBA, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Apobiologix. In … Continue reading Biosimilars and Drug Rebates: A Foot in the Door to Access?
Infliximab Biosimilars Savings Could Exceed $400 Million Dollars Annually
Everyone with an opinion believes that biosimilar drug use will save the health system considerable money. Calculations for biosimilar savings have been hampered by several factors. For example, previous high estimates have not been based on real-life scenarios. Only 3 biosimilars have been launched and utilized in the US; so little experience has been gained on which … Continue reading Infliximab Biosimilars Savings Could Exceed $400 Million Dollars Annually
Plans Use Step Therapy to Encourage Utilization of Remicade Over Biosimilars
Health plans and insurers are not yet turning to biosimilar infliximab as a preferred therapy, according to Gillian Woollett, DPhil, MA, of Avalere. Her new report surveyed publicly available policy about health plans across the nation. The principal finding was that step therapy was commonly used to encourage use of the originator product. In fact, … Continue reading Plans Use Step Therapy to Encourage Utilization of Remicade Over Biosimilars
FDA’s Gottlieb to Health Plans: Move Away From Short-Term Rebates on Reference Drugs to Enhance Long-Term Biosimilar Savings
According to Food and Drug Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, the managed care sector’s willingness to accept larger rebates from manufacturers of originator biologics to preserve formulary coverage may seriously hinder the long-term success of the biosimilar industry. And more importantly, the ability to control biologic costs through competition. In remarks made to a national meeting … Continue reading FDA’s Gottlieb to Health Plans: Move Away From Short-Term Rebates on Reference Drugs to Enhance Long-Term Biosimilar Savings
Pfizer’s At-Risk Launch of Inflectra Pays Off (at Least a Bit)
The US Court of Appeals handed Pfizer a big victory in its gamble to bring its biosimilar version of Remicade® to the market before the completion of patent litigation. On January 23, the Appeals Court ruled that Johnson & Johnson’s ‘471 patent in the case was declared invalid, clearing the way for sales of Inflectra® … Continue reading Pfizer’s At-Risk Launch of Inflectra Pays Off (at Least a Bit)
News in the Courts on Biosimilars
According to a Reuters report, Janssen Biotech withdrew its patent lawsuit against Samsung Bioepis on November 10. The suit alleged infringement in the manufacture of Samsung’s infliximab biosimilar. The action, which was filed in U.S. District Court of New Jersey, means that Merck and Samsung, which launched Renflexis™ in July, is no longer at risk … Continue reading News in the Courts on Biosimilars
Pfizer Sues J&J on Anticompetitive Practices on Infliximab in the US
Whereas Pfizer has made some inroads to the US market, since its launch at the end of 2016, Janssen has done a good job of blocking and tackling—playing the contracting game. The lawsuit claims that Janssen has withheld or threatened to withhold rebates if payers do not keep Remicade in an exclusive preferred position.
Inflectra Sales Lagging for Pfizer in Second Quarter
“Our Inflectra share was 2.3% of the overall infliximab volume,” including both patients who had not used infliximab before and those who switched to Inflectra.