Mylan’s Fulphila Pegfilgrastim Biosimilar Launches at Big Discount

The first pegfilgrastim biosimilar (Fulphila™) in the US has begun marketing, and Mylan/Biocon are offering a 33% discount to the wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) of the originator product Neulasta®. The Center for Biosimilars reported a communication from Mylan confirming the action. This is a watershed moment for the pegfilgrastim category and could signal the beginning of … Continue reading Mylan’s Fulphila Pegfilgrastim Biosimilar Launches at Big Discount →

What Will Cost Savings on 2023 Adalimumab Biosimilars Really Be Worth?

AbbVie executives are sticking to their pledge to restrict annual price increases on Humira® below 10%, but even payer price protections won’t mitigate the increasing expenditures before adalimumab biosimilars hit the market. In 2023, when adalimumab biosimilars become available, the savings biosimilars represent may not be real savings at all. Pharmaceutical companies generally seek to … Continue reading What Will Cost Savings on 2023 Adalimumab Biosimilars Really Be Worth? →

Savvy Move or Illegal Anticompetitive Action?

Merck, which markets Remicade® in Europe, may have stepped over an anticompetitive line when Pfizer’s Inflectra® biosimilar was first made available, according to the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority. In the US, however, this activity would be considered routine. Certainly, nothing prevents this action and it would be fully expected, in terms of net costs.

Unlocking the Rebate Trap: A Challenge for Biosimilars

Using a pretty extreme example of rebating/pricing and utilization in the biologic marketplace, they found that if 50% of patients switched to a biosimilar, the payer could be paying more money for the drug category in total compared with simply accepting the high prices and rebates of the originator’s manufacturer. Under the scenario set forth, the health plan or insurer would in fact not be saving the money expected, because of a so-called “rebate trap.”

ICER: Current Biologics for Rheumatoid Arthritis Well off the Mark for Cost Effectiveness

which assesses the value of therapies based on effectiveness and cost, found that none of the available immunomodulators approach the cost-effectiveness threshold of $100,000 to $150,000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY).