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Dörner T, Strand V, Cornes P, Gonçalves J, Gulácsi L, Kay J, Kvien TK, Smolen J, Tanaka Y, Burmester GR. The changing landscape of biosimilars in rheumatology. Ann Rheum Dis 2016; 75:974-82. [PMID: 26964144 PMCID: PMC4893105 DOI: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-209166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Biosimilars remain a hot topic in rheumatology, and some physicians are cautious about their application in the real world. With many products coming to market and a wealth of guidelines and recommendations concerning their use, there is a need to understand the changing landscape and the real clinical and health-economic potential offered by these agents. Notably, rheumatologists will be at the forefront of the use of biosimilar monoclonal antibodies/soluble receptors. Biosimilars offer cost savings and health gains for our patients and will play an important role in treating rheumatic diseases. We hope that these lower costs will compensate for inequities in access to therapy based on economic differences across countries. Since approved biosimilars have already demonstrated highly similar efficacy, it will be most important to establish pharmacovigilance databases across countries that are adequate to monitor long-term safety after marketing approval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Dörner
- Department of Medicine/Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany Deutsches Rheumaforschungszentrum (DRFZ), Berlin, Germany
| | - Vibeke Strand
- Division Immunology/Rheumatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | | | - João Gonçalves
- Faculty of Pharmacy at University of Lisbon, iMed- Research Institute for Medicines, Portugal
| | - László Gulácsi
- Department of Health Economics, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Jonathan Kay
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School and UMass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tore K Kvien
- Department of Rheumatology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Josef Smolen
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine 3, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria Department of Medicine, Hietzing Hospital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yoshiya Tanaka
- The First Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan
| | - Gerd R Burmester
- Department of Medicine/Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
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