Will Biosimilar Medications be the Next Big Wave in Healthcare?
You may have heard the word thrown around here and there in the past. But to keep it simple, a biosimilar medication would be comparable to the generic version of a brand name medication. Think something like a generic albuterol inhaler for treating asthma versus the brand name Ventolin inhaler, only with a catch.
In this case, the brand name medication is actually composed of sugars, proteins, nucleic acids, complex combinations of these substances, or even living entities such as cells and tissues to create massively complex drugs. As such, these must be held to much higher standards if a company is to try to recreate something similar. While generic medications can be a near identical match if they are chemical, biosimilars can never quite be the perfect match to their living biologic counterparts. Over the past several years biosimilars have been emerging more and more as an alternative to very expensive biologic medications that can be life altering for many patient populations.
Lets give an example:
Humira, a medication that works by blocking a protein called TNF to reduce inflammation is a biologic medication used by millions of patients for the management of several autoimmune disorders. This medication normally comes at a hefty price for its life changing benefits in patients with conditions like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, but in the next year or so that might change. As of right now there are at least eight biosimilars of Humira expected to be launching in 2023 with some like Cyltezo already being designated as interchangeable with Humira.
Biosimilar medications are highly similar (hence the name) to their corresponding reference biologic drugs in terms of efficacy, quality, and safety and offer a more affordable options to treat various chronic diseases, such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and even cancer. In recent years, the availability of biosimilars has been rapidly increasing and it has the potential to greatly affect the pharmaceutical industry, patient’s health, their wallets, and healthcare as a whole in the coming years.
What are the benefits of biosimilars?
As a pharmacist I feel the addition of biosimilars into the market is a fantastic thing for several reasons, let me explain:
- First and foremost, biosimilars are designed to be more affordable for patients compared to the traditional biologic options we currently have access to.
- The lower cost of biosimilars will save more money for health systems, allowing resources to be distributed to other areas of need.
- The entry of biosimilars into the market will create competition and potentially drive down the prices of the reference biologic medications.
As of right now, there are about 40 biosimilars approved by the FDA that treat a wide range of complex disease states. Research shows that biosimilar drugs could reduce spending on biologics by $38.4 billion between 2021 and 2025. In fact, the U.S. healthcare system saved $338 billion because of biosimilar and generic drugs in 2020 alone.
What are the downsides?
As they become more popular, its not all clear skies and smooth sailing from here. There are still problems associated with these very complex and impressive new drugs that we will have to watch out for as well as a learning curve for providers. Biosimilars by the nature of what they are mimicking require a much stricter manufacturing process with rigorous analysis to make sure it is comparable to what you would get with a biologic.
With complex drugs comes a new level of knowledge required to properly educate and teach patients on how to use these medications and what to expect from them. A biosimilar may not carry the same incidence of an adverse effect as its biologic reference. This means every healthcare provider from doctors to nurses to your local pharmacist will need to prepare themselves for this change so that we can continue to provide our patients the best care possible. In preparation there are already programs being put in place to provide healthcare professionals with this information, like this program here by the ACMA.
With all of this information, I think there will be much to look forward to this year as biosimilars become more commonplace in healthcare and doctors are able to provide them as another option for patients in managing the next potentially life changing diagnosis they receive. They could also very well be the next billion dollar money saver for hospitals and patients alike, and I think we can all agree the less money patients need to spend to maintain their health, the better.
As always, I’d love to hear what you think as well about the potential of biosimilars in the coming years, thanks for reading!
