Biosimilars/General

Dramatic price reduction of trastuzumab in Malaysia

Biosimilars/General | Posted 07/06/2019

The price of the cancer drug trastuzumab has dropped by more than half in Malaysia following a recent tender to the Ministry of Health.

Biosimilar pipelines for South Korean firms: Chong Kun Dang, DM Bio and HK inno.N

Biosimilars/General | Posted 31/05/2021

South Korea is becoming a more and more important spot on the map when it comes to biosimilars. Although Celltrion Healthcare (Celltrion) and Samsung Bioepis (Samsung and Biogen’s joint venture) are leading the way in Korea and worldwide, other Korean companies, such as Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical (Chong Kun Dang), DM Bio (joint venture between Dong-A ST and Meiji Holdings) and HK inno.N (previously CJ Healthcare), are also expanding their biosimilar pipelines.

Approved biosimilars for South Korean firms: Celltrion and Samsung Bioepis

Biosimilars/General | Posted 21/05/2021

Korean companies, such as Celltrion Healthcare (Celltrion) and Samsung Bioepis (Samsung and Biogen’s joint venture), are becoming more and more important both in the country and worldwide when it comes to developing biosimilars.

Canadian provinces expand their use of biosimilars

Biosimilars/General | Posted 14/05/2021

New Brunswick has become the third Canadian province to implement a biosimilar switching policy. The province of Alberta has also expanded its switching programme to include biosimilars of the anti-inflammatory treatment adalimumab (Humira).

Safety of switching between rituximab biosimilars in cancer

Biosimilars/General | Posted 07/05/2021

In more than 10 years of clinical experience, no substantial clinical and safety differences have been detected among biosimilars and their already approved biologicals [1]. However, concerns are raised with respect to the practice of switching in patients already treated with a specific biological product (either reference or biosimilar) [2].

Insurer formularies increase complexity for healthcare providers

Biosimilars/General | Posted 07/05/2021

An assessment of insurer formularies for pegfilgrastim in the US suggests that payer-imposed preferences increase complexity when pharmacists and physicians are choosing which version of a drug to stock and administer.

Rheumatoid arthritis treatments in Australia

Biosimilars/General | Posted 30/04/2021

Analysis of the treatment landscape for rheumatoid arthritis in Australia shows that AbbVie’s Humira (adalimumab) and Pfizer’s Enbrel (etanercept) together make up half of total sales.

Biosimilars of enoxaparin sodium

Biosimilars/General | Posted 23/04/2021

Enoxaparin sodium is an anticoagulant medication (blood thinner). It is used to treat and prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) including during pregnancy and following certain types of surgery. It is also used in those with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and heart attacks.

British Columbia adds adalimumab to biosimilar switching programme

Biosimilars/General | Posted 16/04/2021

British Columbia (BC), the first province in Canada to switch patients to biosimilar drugs, has added adalimumab to its switching programme. Almost 6,000 patients will be transitioned from originator adalimumab (Humira) to one of five biosimilar versions.

Biosimilars of ustekinumab

Biosimilars/General | Posted 09/04/2021

Ustekinumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that interferes with the triggering of the body’s inflammatory response through the suppression of certain cytokines. Specifically, it blocks interleukin IL 12 and IL 23 which help activate certain T cells. It binds to the p 40 subunit of both IL 12 and IL 23 so that they subsequently cannot bind to their receptors. It is indicated for the treatment of Crohn’s disease, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.