Will off-patent biological medicines offer the same cost savings as those seen with off-patent non-biological (chemically derived) medicines? A group of health economists based in Brussels, Belgium, have begun to address the question in light of increasing numbers of biological medicines going off patent and the new phenomenon of biosimilar competition [1].
The price difference between originator biologicals and their biosimilars currently stands at between 10 and 35%, which varies according to country and medicine. Biosimilar sales represent a relatively small proportion of the EU pharmaceutical market, but this is increasing steadily.
Most data on biosimilar uptake is provided by the US-based healthcare information group IMS data. A recent study used IMS data to provide estimates on biosimilar-related savings between 2007 and 2020 for eight European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and UK) [2]. Predicted savings related to biosimilar monoclonal antibodies ranged between Euros 11.8 billion and Euros 33.4 billion over that time.
But these estimates relied heavily on assumptions about the German pharmaceutical market, write María-Isabel Farfan-Portet and co-authors [1], and on large predicted savings with monoclonal antibodies – for which biosimilars are only now becoming available.
The question of how much money will be saved will rely on regulatory issues, whether physicians will accept biosimilars, and price and reimbursement policies. ‘The challenge for policymakers in the coming years will be to set effective measures leading to improved biosimilar uptake,’ the authors conclude.
Conflict of interest
The authors of the research paper [1] did not report any conflicts of interest.
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References
1. Farfan-Portet M-I, Gerkens S, Lepage-Nefkens I, Vinck I, Hulstaert F. Are biosimilars the next tool to guarantee cost-containment for pharmaceutical expenditures? Eur J Health Econ. doi: 10.1007/s10198-013-0538-4
2. Haustein R, de Millas C, Hoer A, Haussler H. Saving money in the European healthcare systems with biosimilars. Generics and Biosimilars Initiative Journal (GaBI Journal). 2012;1(3-4):120-6. doi: 10.5639/gabij.2012.0103-4.036
Source: www.gabionline.net
