Novel Classes of Biologics vs. TNF-Alpha Inhibitors for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis | Physician & Payer Forum | US | 2015
Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are the two gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders that constitute inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), affecting approximately 1.25 million people in the United States. Use of biologics is becoming more commonplace in these disorders, with five approved in the CD market and four in the UC market. Janssen’s Remicade (infliximab) and AbbVie’s Humira (adalimumab) are the contenders to beat for emerging agents vying for share in patients who are refractory to less expensive, conventional agents. U.S. gastroenterologists indicate a strong preference for novel agents with alternative mechanisms of action that can offer improvements on the key goals of CD/UC pharmacotherapy: induction and maintenance of remission. In this report, we present key insights from physicians’ and payers’ opinions on current biologics and emerging therapies in order to address the potential actions necessary to keep pace with the evolving prescribing and reimbursement landscape for CD and UC. We focus on the available TNF-? inhibitors Remicade, Humira, Janssen’s Simponi (golimumab), and UCB’s Cimzia (certolizumab pegol); the cell adhesion molecule inhibitors Biogen’s Tysabri (natalizumab) and Takeda’s Entyvio (vedolizumab); and the emerging therapies Janssen’s Stelara (ustekinumab) and Pfizer’s Xeljanz (tofacitinib), as well as biosimilars infliximab and adalimumab.
