Abstract
Objective
To evaluate the impact of the entry of biosimilars on the pricing of eight biologic products in 57 countries and regions.
Methods
We utilized an interrupted time series design and IQVIA MIDAS® data to analyze the annual sales data of eight biologic products (adalimumab, bevacizumab, epoetin, etanercept, filgrastim, infliximab, pegfilgrastim, and trastuzumab) across 57 countries and regions from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2019. We examined the immediate and long-term changes in biologics ex-manufacturer pricing following the entry of biosimilars to the market.
Results
Following the entry of biosimilars, the average price per dose of biologic product was immediately reduced by $438 for trastuzumab, $112 for infliximab, and $110 for bevacizumab. The persistent effect of biosimilars’ market entry led to further reductions in price per dose every year: by $49 for adalimumab, $290 for filgrastim, $21 for infliximab, and $189 for trastuzumab. Similarly, we analyzed the impact of biosimilars on four biologics’ prices in the US, where the prices of three biologics significantly decreased every year, with filgrastim, pegfilgrastim, and infliximab decreasing by $955, $753, and $104, respectively.
Conclusions
The introduction of biosimilars has significantly reduced the prices of biologics both globally and in the US. These findings not only demonstrate the economic benefits of increasing biosimilar utilization, but also emphasize the importance of biosimilars in controlling healthcare costs. Policies should aim to expand the availability of biosimilars to counteract the exponential growth of medical spending caused by the use of biologics.
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Reference47 articles.
1. Biologics and biosimilars;PK Patel;The Journal of dermatological treatment,2015
2. Defining the difference: What Makes Biologics Unique;T Morrow;Biotechnol Healthc,2004
3. Balancing benefits and risks in the era of biologics;G Adami;Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis,2019
4. Biosimilars: approval and acceptance?;JK DeMartino;Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network: JNCCN,2011