Abstract
Background: Biological drugs have revolutionized the treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). Current guidelines reserve these drugs for patients with severe refractory disease.
Biologic drugs are expensive, but as they reach patent expiry, the introduction of lower-cost biosimilars reduces their impact on health care budgets. It is estimated that NHS England could save £300 million by 2021 following the recent launch of adalimumab biosimilars [1]. As part of this process, there has been a mandatory switch of originator adalimumab to biosimilar adalimumab throughout the U.K.
Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the switch to biosimilar adalimumab in individuals with inflammatory arthritis at two NHS trusts in the East of England and calculate the proportion and reasons for switch back to originator adalimumab or a second biosimilar at 12 weeks.
Methods: Both hospitals ran dedicated ‘switch’ clinics. All patient records were reviewed retrospectively.
Results: 855 patients with different IMID switched from originator to biosimilar over 13 months. At 12 weeks, 730 patients (85%) maintained the switch, 71 patients (8.7%) switched back to the originator, and 54 patients (6.3%) switched to other biosimilars of the same drug.
Biologic drugs are expensive, but as they reach patent expiry, the introduction of lower-cost biosimilars reduces their impact on health care budgets. It is estimated that NHS England could save £300 million by 2021 following the recent launch of adalimumab biosimilars [1]. As part of this process, there has been a mandatory switch of originator adalimumab to biosimilar adalimumab throughout the U.K.
Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the switch to biosimilar adalimumab in individuals with inflammatory arthritis at two NHS trusts in the East of England and calculate the proportion and reasons for switch back to originator adalimumab or a second biosimilar at 12 weeks.
Methods: Both hospitals ran dedicated ‘switch’ clinics. All patient records were reviewed retrospectively.
Results: 855 patients with different IMID switched from originator to biosimilar over 13 months. At 12 weeks, 730 patients (85%) maintained the switch, 71 patients (8.7%) switched back to the originator, and 54 patients (6.3%) switched to other biosimilars of the same drug.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 1880 |
| Journal | Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases |
| Volume | 79 |
| Issue number | Suppl 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2020 |
| Externally published | Yes |
| Event | Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) - Duration: 3 Jun 2020 → … |