Biosimilars | Current Treatment | Immunology | US/EU | 2018

Immune biologics including TNF-alpha inhibitors are among the most commercially successful biopharmaceutical products and therefore offer a great opportunity for biosimilars developers. The pipeline of immune biosimilars includes several agents that reference AbbVie’s lucrative biologic Humira (adalimumab), which are available in Europe in October 2018, and biosimilars referencing Roche’s Rituxan/MabThera, which have already launched in Europe and are set to launch in the United States in Q3 2019. As the immune biosimilars space becomes increasingly competitive, it is important that manufacturers/marketers of biosimilars and branded biologics understand which factors influence physicians’ uptake. Decision Resources Group has conducted market research with rheumatologists and gastroenterologists in France, Germany, and the United States to gain insights on physicians’ attitudes toward biosimilars, the drivers and barriers to biosimilar use, and the expectations for biosimilar adoption.

Questions answered:

• Have physicians received recommendations to use biosimilars?
• Are physicians switching patients from reference brands to biosimilars?
• What factors do physicians consider when choosing among competing biosimilars?
• How are TNF-alpha inhibitor and MAb biosimilars performing, and what are physicians’ expectations for their future uptake?
• What are the key drivers and barriers to the uptake of TNF-alpha inhibitors and MAb biosimilars?

Scope:

• Markets covered: France, Germany, and the United States.
• Primary research: Survey of 90 rheumatologists and 91 gastroenterologists.

Key companies mentioned:

• Amgen.
• AbbVie.
• Biogen.
• Celltrion.
• Johnson & Johnson/Janssen.
• Merck & Co./MSD.
• Mundipharma.
• Novartis/Sandoz.
• Pfizer/Hospira.
• Roche/Genentech.
• Samsung Bioepis.

Key drugs mentioned:

• Inflectra (infliximab).
• Remsima (infliximab).
• Benepali (etanercept).
• Flixabi (infliximab).
• Truxima (rituximab).
• Enbrel (etanercept).
• Humira (adalimumab).
• Remicade (infliximab).
• Rituxan/MabThera (rituximab).
• Simponi (golimumab).
• Cimzia (certolizumab pegol).
• Orencia (abatacept).
• Actemra/RoActemra (tocilizumab).
• Stelara (ustekinumab).
• Entyvio (vedolizumab).