Biosimilars | Current Treatment | Nephrology | US/EU | 2017
Although ESA biosimilars entered the European market a decade ago, their uptake varies from country to country, as well as by drug and manufacturer. While European nephrologists have been able to prescribe biosimilar ESAs to their CKD patients for a number of years, no biosimilar ESAs are as yet available to U.S. nephrologists. With epoetin alfa biosimila nearing launch in the United States, and with new biosimilars expected to enter all markets in the near-term future, it is vital to understand why ESA biosimilar uptake varies in Europe, and how it might impact upcoming ESA biosimilar launches in the United States and Europe. We surveyed nephrologists from France, Germany, and the United States about their experience, familiarity with, and attitudes toward current biosimilars; the drivers and barriers to biosimilars’ uptake; and their expectations for novel biosimilars.
