The Utilization of Biosimilars for Infliximab: A New Perspective
The question of whether long-run drug prices will decrease for biologic products is a pressing issue in healthcare. To better understand this, we can break it down into three sub-questions:
1. What percentage of patients starting therapy begin with a biosimilar?
2. What percentage of patients already using a biologic product switch to a biosimilar?
3. Do patient or physician factors influence biosimilar prescribing patterns?
A recent study by Roberts et al. (2024) explores these questions using the medication infliximab as a case study. Infliximab is used to treat a variety of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and psoriatic arthritis.
Methods:
The researchers utilized data from the American College of Rheumatology’s Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) registry. This registry contains electronic health records data from over 1000 US rheumatologists. The authors employed a multilevel logistic regression model that clustered patients by practice to analyze the factors influencing biosimilar prescribing.
Results:
– Biosimilar Initiation: The study found that 21.6% of patients initiating therapy received a biosimilar version of infliximab between 2017 and 2022. The percentage of patients initiating a biosimilar increased over time, with 37% of Medicare patients, 51% of commercially insured patients, and 55% of Medicaid patients starting on a biosimilar by 2022. Patients in lower socioeconomic status areas were more likely to initiate a biosimilar.
– Biosimilar Switching: While there was a rising trend in biosimilar treatment initiation, switching from a biologic to a biosimilar was less common. Most users stuck with the formulation they were initially prescribed.
– Practice Level Impacts: Practice variability played a significant role in biosimilar switching, with 34% of the variation attributed to differences between practices. Some practices had high rates of new starts on biosimilars and switching from biologic to biosimilar.
FAQ:
Q: How do biosimilars differ from biologics?
A: Biosimilars are highly similar versions of biologic drugs with no clinically meaningful differences in terms of safety, efficacy, and quality.
Q: Why are biosimilars important?
A: Biosimilars can help reduce healthcare costs by providing more affordable alternatives to biologic drugs.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the study sheds light on the increasing utilization of biosimilars for infliximab but also highlights the variability in prescribing patterns across different patient demographics and rheumatology practices. Understanding and addressing these factors will be crucial in driving further adoption of biosimilars and potentially lowering drug prices in the long run.