US doctors poised to prescribe biosimilars

Biosimilars/General | Posted 18/03/2016 post-comment0 Post your comment

A survey of specialists in the US has found that nearly half of them expect to prescribe biosimilars to treatment-naïve patients.

Stethoscope MD002364 V13F21

The survey by healthcare market research company InCrowd included data from 150 US-based board-certified physicians in specialties where prescribing of biologicals is significant. Thirty specialists from each of the specialities of dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, oncology and rheumatology were included, all of whom had been in practice for at least three years.

The survey found that:
      • 17% of respondents felt biosimilars would become the norm or replace biologicals in the next three years
      • 20% stated they were likely to strictly prohibit pharmacy-level substitution of the originator biological with biosimilars, compared to 30% who would never prohibit substitutions and 40% that would treat substitutions on a case-by-case basis
      • efficacy (89%) and safety (81%) outranked patient costs (71%) among the most important factors in determining whether physicians would prescribe biosimilars
      • 83% of respondents said they would prescribe a biosimilar if it were 25% cheaper versus just 33% if it were only 5% cheaper
      • physicians expect to prescribe biosimilars to treatment-naïve patients (49%) - those who have never tried any drug treatment – rather than to patients currently or previously treated with originator biologicals (30% and 38%, respectively)

The survey concluded that notwithstanding efficacy and safety considerations, US physicians are poised to embrace biosimilars as a potentially important way to reduce patient drug costs.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its first biosimilar Zarxio (filgrastim-sndz) in 2015 [1]. Then in February 2016 FDA advisers voted to recommend the approval of Celltrion’s infliximab biosimilar (CT-P13) [2].

This latest survey paints a more positive picture of likely biosimilars prescribing in the US than a survey carried out by online physician’s platform and community QuantiaMD in March 2015. The QuantiaMD survey found that a mere 17% of prescribing specialists were ‘very likely’ to prescribe biosimilars, with the main problems being lack of awareness and education [3].

Related article
Biosimilars approved in the US

References
1. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. FDA approves its first biosimilar [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2015 Mar 18]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/News/FDA-approves-its-first-biosimilar
2. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. FDA advisers recommend approval of Celltrion’s infliximab biosimilar [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2016 Mar 18]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/News/FDA-advisers-recommend-approval-of-Celltrion-s-infliximab-biosimilar
3. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Doctors’ survey reveals lack of confidence in biosimilars [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2016 Mar 18]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Reports/Doctors-survey-reveals-lack-of-confidence-in-biosimilars

Permission granted to reproduce for personal and non-commercial use only. All other reproduction, copy or reprinting of all or part of any ‘Content’ found on this website is strictly prohibited without the prior consent of the publisher. Contact the publisher to obtain permission before redistributing.

Copyright – Unless otherwise stated all contents of this website are © 2016 Pro Pharma Communications International. All Rights Reserved.

comment icon Comments (0)
Post your comment
Related content
Promotion of biosimilar product development in Puerto Rico
Biological 143606710 V14J14ct
Biosimilars/General Posted 17/10/2023
CVS’ Cordavis to launch Sandoz’s Hyrimoz (adalimumab)
15 AA010699
Biosimilars/General Posted 03/10/2023
Most viewed articles
About GaBI
Home/About GaBI Posted 06/08/2009
EU guidelines for biosimilars
EMA logo 1 V13C15
Home/Guidelines Posted 08/10/2010