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The promise of biosimilars is that these subsequent-entry products can reduce the cost of biologic therapy by offering lower-priced alternatives that do not compromise efficacy or safety. An additional benefit is that the presence of competition in the marketplace can also drive down costs for originator products, or at least curb price growth, though to what degree biosimilars have had such an impact on originator biologics in the US market has not been fully elucidated.
The promise of biosimilars is that these subsequent-entry products can reduce the cost of biologic therapy by offering lower-priced alternatives that do not compromise efficacy or safety. An additional benefit is that the presence of competition in the marketplace can also drive down costs for originator products, or at least curb price growth, though to what degree biosimilars have had such an impact on originator biologics in the US market has not been fully elucidated.
In a new research letter appearing this month in JAMA Network Open, a team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the UPMC Health Plan reported on their assessment of how biosimilar availability has impacted prices for reference products.
Using pricing data from January 2007 to June 2018 from SSR Health, the researchers examined prices for filgrastim, pegfilgrastim, and infliximab (which face biosimilar competition), as well as insulin glargine (which has a follow-on insulin available). For each year, they calculated the mean list and net prices and mean discounts for Medicaid and other payers for the drugs in question.
They found the following:
While the study was subject to limitations—including the fact that estimates of Medicaid discounts reflect only statutory rebates and the fact that it is not possible to determine whether large discounts are a result of increases in rebates or other manufacturer concessions—the authors write that, for all 4 products, availability of biosimilars or follow-ons accelerated decreases in net prices for biologics.
“Our findings show that biologics that faced biosimilar competition—even without interchangeability—showed marked reductions in net prices and leveling off of list price increases,” write the authors.
Reference
San-Juan-Rodriguez A, Gellad F, Good CB, Hernandez I. Trends in list prices, net prices, and discounts for originator biologics facing biosimilar competition. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(12): e1917379. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.17379.