(Reuters) – Despite facing nine lower-priced rivals, AbbVie’s Humira retains over 80% of its patients. This challenges the sustainability of the biosimilars market, according to experts and analysts.
Humira, priced at nearly $7,000 per month, faces competition from biosimilars. These offer alternatives but are not identical to the branded drug.
Pharmacy benefit managers controlled patient access post-launch, providing little incentive for doctors to switch to alternatives.
Biosimilars were available at lower prices than Humira through the three largest benefit managers, CVS Health’s Caremark, Cigna’s Express Scripts and UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Rx.
At least seven drugmakers offered sharply discounted prices, but few patients used them until CVS removed AbbVie’s Humira from its list of covered drugs.
Regulatory reform is needed so patients can more easily access biosimilars and draw rival drugmakers to develop them, said Stacie Dusetzina, a health policy professor at Vanderbilt University.
“It’s not clear to me there’s any incentive at all for companies to spend their time and money creating biosimilars. And if no one will, then the price of the brand would never come down,” she said.
The biosimilar industry is advocating for regulatory changes, saying $6 billion in potential savings have been lost since the launches.
Additionally, policymakers should explore legislative measures to facilitate the entry of biosimilars into the market and promote price competition.
By fostering a more competitive landscape, regulators can alleviate Humira market concerns and improve access to affordable treatment options for patients worldwide.
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