The Majority of Surveyed Rheumatologists in Europe and the United States Expect to Prescribe Biosimilar Infliximab Within One Year of Launch

BURLINGTON, Mass., Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources Group finds that the majority of surveyed rheumatologists in France, Germany and the United States expect to prescribe biosimilar infliximab within one year of launch if the biosimilar is priced at a net discount of 15-30 percent to Remicade and has demonstrated similar efficacy in clinical trials.

Other key findings from the Biosimilars Advisory Service report entitled Physician Perspectives on Biologics in Immunology and Infectious Disease:

• Switching of responding patients: Rheumatologists and gastroenterologists indicate that responding patients currently on a reference brand TNF-alpha inhibitor are unlikely to be switched to one of its biosimilars. Cross-brand switching of patients on a non-reference brand TNF-alpha inhibitor to a biosimilar is even less likely.
• Positioning of biosimilars in the rheumatoid arthritis treatment algorithm: Almost one-half of surveyed rheumatologists will consider treating their rheumatoid arthritis patients with a biosimilar TNF-alpha inhibitor after the failure of conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs ahead of branded TNF-alpha inhibitors.
• Physician awareness of biosimilar substitution rules: Only a minority of surveyed gastroenterologists and rheumatologists are aware that pharmacy-level substitution of biosimilars will be permitted under certain circumstances in their country; only 14 percent of them expect to allow pharmacy-level substitution for all biologics and all patients.
• Impact of patient costs on biosimilar prescribing in the United States: Surveyed U.S. rheumatologists and gastroenterologists indicate that patient out-of-pocket costs will influence their prescribing of TNF-alpha inhibitor biosimilars; if a biosimilar costs the patient 30 percent less than the reference brand, physicians indicate that they expect to prescribe the biosimilar to more than double the number of eligible patients compared with a biosimilar that cost the patient 10 percent less than the reference brand.

Comments from Decision Resources Group Senior Analyst Anees Malik:

• "Rheumatologists and gastroenterologists will be the first specialists in the major EU markets to have access to a biosimilar monoclonal antibody, namely Celltrion and Hospira's infliximab biosimilar. We expect initial adoption to be cautious with the majority of physicians who choose to prescribe the biosimilar only using it in small numbers of patients as they either evaluate its use or wait for positive feedback from colleagues."
• "Originator companies can be reassured by the fact that rheumatologists and gastroenterologists indicate little enthusiasm for switching responding patients currently receiving reference brand immune biologics to biosimilars."

About Decision Resources Group
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SOURCE Decision Resources Group