The Center for Biosimilars Staff


European Analysis Finds Infliximab to Be Most Cost-Effective Biologic for RA

October 11, 2018

The paper reports findings from a study that used retrospective data from a single center in Poland from 2009 to 2014. Records from a total of 104 patients, each of whom received infliximab, etanercept, or adalimumab under the National Health Fund, were assessed.

Association of European Cancer Leagues Calls for Faster Biosimilar Uptake

October 10, 2018

The Association of European Cancer Leagues, a nonprofit, pan-European organization of national and regional cancer societies, has issued a new white paper that calls for greater biosimilar use as a means to reduce costs and increase patient access to cancer treatment.

Standardized Dose Rounding for Infliximab Reduces Costs, Study Demonstrates

October 08, 2018

Infliximab accounts for substantial drug spending in the United States, and dose rounding has become a common practice at many facilities as a way to avoid wasting vials that have only been partially used. However, many institutions do not have standardized approaches to rounding doses, and because infliximab requires a weight-based dose, rounding becomes even more complex.

UK Proposes Shorter Time Frame for Biosimilar Authorization Amid Brexit Shortage Fears

October 05, 2018

The United Kingdom has opened a consultation on provisions that it hopes will ensure the supply of medicines in the event that no agreement can be made between the United Kingdom and the European Union before the Brexit deadline.

Xbrane's Ranibizumab Biosimilar Shows Equivalent PK and Tolerability to Lucentis

October 04, 2018

Swedish biotechnology company Xbrane Biopharma today announced that its ranibizumab biosimilar, referencing Lucentis, demonstrated an equivalent pharmacokinetic (PK) profile and equivalent tolerability to its reference in an in vivo study.

Eye on Pharma: Japan to Review Darbepoetin Alfa Biosimilar

October 02, 2018

Dong-A ST, a biosimilar developer based in the Republic of Korea, has, together with Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho, filed for Japanese regulatory approval of DA-3880, a darbepoetin alfa biosimilar referencing Aranesp.

Literature Review Finds Insufficient Evidence for Biosimilar Nocebo Effect

October 01, 2018

In explaining why some patients who switch to biosimilars from reference biologics discontinue their therapy at a higher rate than those who remain on a therapy without interruption, some authors have referenced the so-called “nocebo” effect. This effect, whereby a patient experiences disease worsening or adverse events due to negative beliefs about a drug, has been controversial, however, and not all clinicians agree that the effect is to blame for differences in discontinuation.

Iranian Biosimilar Rituximab Noninferior to Its Reference in Treating CLL

September 24, 2018

A recently published study between the biosimilar and the reference rituximab, MabThera, demonstrated that the biosimilar was noninferior to the reference in terms of both efficacy and safety in treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).