Biosimilars | Current Treatment | US/EU | 2021

Since the approval of the first biosimilar in Europe more than a decade ago, the adoption of biosimilars has been increasing among all specialties. The FDA approved Sandoz’s Zarxio (filgrastim) in 2015, the first biosimilar in the U.S. market, following which biosimilars have been gaining traction in this market as well. For biosimilars to achieve and maintain a strong position in the major pharmaceutical markets, they must earn physicians’ trust. By elucidating physicians’ decision-making process in the use of biosimilars versus biologics, clients can learn the most important attributes that a biosimilar should have. Clarivate conducted primary market research in the United States, France, and Germany with physicians from six specialties (gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, nephrologists, rheumatologists, medical oncologists, and hematology-oncologists) to obtain insight into their experiences with and perceptions of biosimilars. In this report, we examine how physicians’ experiences and attitudes compare across specialties and countries and how their views and adoption of biosimilars by patients have evolved over time.

Questions Answered in This Report:

• Understand surveyed physicians’ stance on indication extrapolation automatic substitution, and current use and familiarity with biosimilars. What are physicians’ opinions of indication extrapolation, and how do their attitudes vary by country and specialty? Are physicians familiar with the pharmacy-level substitution rules in their respective countries, and are they receptive to them? How similar do they think biosimilars are to their reference brands?
• Understand the drivers of and barriers to biosimilar use among physicians from different specialties. According to physicians, which factors will stimulate uptake of biosimilars, and how do these factors vary by country? What are physicians’ concerns about using biosimilars, and how do they vary by specialty? Which companies do physicians trust most as manufacturers of biosimilars? How the adoption of biosimilars would vary depending on the level of discount provided?
• Understand how examining physicians’ attitudes can help decipher the likely use of biosimilars in the future. How will physicians adopt biosimilars initially, and how will uptake vary by specialty? How will physicians choose among multiple biosimilars of the same reference product? Do physicians expect to use new, higher-cost biologics once biosimilars are available?

Scope

Markets covered: United States, France, and Germany.

Primary research: Online quantitative survey of 547 physicians from six specialties—endocrinologists (93), gastroenterologists (92), nephrologists (90), rheumatologists (90), hematologist-oncologists (92), and medical oncologists (90).