Implications Of Expanded Biosimilar Use In The United States' Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Rheumatology, Ophthalmology, Nephrology, And Neurology Markets Highlighted In New Spherix Study

450 US specialists provided feedback on their use and perceptions of biosimilar agents and their impact on the total treatment landscape

Exton, PA /PRNewswire/ - Biosimilars are biopharmaceutical products that are nearly identical copies of drugs that have previously been licensed (reference products), with no clinically meaningful efficacy and safety differences from the reference product. These agents tend to be available at a lower cost point than the branded reference biologics, making them attractive alternative treatment options.

While biosimilars have been widely available and utilized across Europe for many years, commercialization of these lower-cost alternatives in the United States have been blocked or delayed (in the majority of cases) due to various legal battles over patents.

Biosimilars are due to make a more widespread appearance on the US market over the next two years, particularly as the world's top grossing drug, AbbVie's Humira (adalimumab), goes off patent in 2023. Spherix Global Insights has expanded their coverage to assess US specialists' current understanding of the biosimilar landscape, their perceptions of biosimilars, as well as their current (where appropriate) and projected uptake of the agents.

The inaugural research included in Special Topix™: Biosimilars Today and Tomorrow (US) will publish this month and will include six different reports in dermatology, gastroenterology, rheumatology, ophthalmology, neurology, and nephrology. The series will continue in 2022 on a semiannual basis and focus specifically on the autoimmune indications where biosimilar entry will play a large role in the next few years.

Spherix currently tracks US utilization of Pfizer's Inflectra, Merck's Renflexis, and Amgen's Avsola (each biosimilars to Janssen's infliximab/Remicade) via their RealTime Dynamix™ quarterly market trackers; but with Humira's patent expiry quickly approaching and a host of biosimilars pending 2023 launch (Amgen's Amjevita, Boehringer Ingelheim's Cyltezo, Sandoz's Hyrimoz, Merck's Hadlima, Pfizer's Abrilada, and Mylan's Hulio, to name a few), the importance of tracking the evolution of biosimilar perceptions will only continue to increase.

This service will also be Spherix's foray into their newest therapeutic area, ophthalmology, with expanded coverage in 2022 including the launch tracking of biosimilars of ranibizumab (Roche's Lucentis): Samsung Bioepis and Biogen's Byooviz and Coherus BioSciences' FYB201 – the first biosimilars poised to enter this therapeutic area.

While approved biosimilars are likely a few years off in neurology, early perceptions are tracked for a baseline into the potential impact on Biogen's Tysabri (natalizumab) and the current impact of off-label use of rituximab biosimilars (Pfizer's Ruxience, Teva/Celltrion's Truxima, and Amgen's Riabni).

Finally, Pfizer's Retacrit, a biosimilar of Amgen's Epogen and Janssen's Procrit, has substantially increased in use across nephrology settings, for both dialysis and non-dialysis. How much further Retacrit will penetrate the renal market before a novel HIF-PH inhibitor is FDA approved will be a key determinate on uptake of this new class.

About Special Topix™
The Special Topix™: Biosimilars Today and Tomorrow (US) service includes access to six reports across dermatology, gastroenterology, rheumatology, ophthalmology, neurology, and nephrology and will be available on a specialty basis. The reports will help manufacturers with biosimilar agents in the pipeline understand the current landscape and overall biosimilar class perspective, as well as provide insight for competitors on initial and potentially lasting impacts their entry may have on existing commercial brands.

About Spherix Global Insights
Spherix Global Insights is a hyper-focused market intelligence firm that leverages our own independent data and expertise to provide strategic guidance, so biopharma stakeholders make decisions with confidence. We specialize in select dermatology, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, and rheumatology markets.

All company, brand or product names in this document are trademarks of their respective holders.

www.spherixglobalinsights.com