VIDEO: As biosimilars arrive in U.S., treatment questions arise

MAUI, HAWAII – There’s been fairly brisk uptake of biosimilar infliximab in Europe, both for new patients and as a possible switch from Remicade.

That biosimilar infliximab, Remsima, was submitted for U.S. approval in 2014, and a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recently recommended approval of a biosimilar for filgrastim (Neupogen).

The agents are in the vanguard of what is sure to be an expanding market in the United States as biologics come off patent. Additional infliximab replacements are in the works, as well as biosimilars for etanercept, adalimumab, rituximab, and others.

For rheumatologists, that could mean less expensive treatments for patients, but it’s also likely to make treatment more complicated. Given the complexity of the molecules, the differences between biosimilars and familiar brands could be a bit more marked than those between small-molecule generics and their branded counterparts.

In a video interview at the 2015 Rheumatology Winter Clinical Symposium, Dr. Arthur F. Kavanaugh, a rheumatology professor at the University of California, San Diego, outlined the latest developments and shared his thoughts on the rapidly evolving field.

[email protected]


MAUI, HAWAII – There’s been fairly brisk uptake of biosimilar infliximab in Europe, both for new patients and as a possible switch from Remicade.

That biosimilar infliximab, Remsima, was submitted for U.S. approval in 2014, and a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recently recommended approval of a biosimilar for filgrastim (Neupogen).

The agents are in the vanguard of what is sure to be an expanding market in the United States as biologics come off patent. Additional infliximab replacements are in the works, as well as biosimilars for etanercept, adalimumab, rituximab, and others.

For rheumatologists, that could mean less expensive treatments for patients, but it’s also likely to make treatment more complicated. Given the complexity of the molecules, the differences between biosimilars and familiar brands could be a bit more marked than those between small-molecule generics and their branded counterparts.

In a video interview at the 2015 Rheumatology Winter Clinical Symposium, Dr. Arthur F. Kavanaugh, a rheumatology professor at the University of California, San Diego, outlined the latest developments and shared his thoughts on the rapidly evolving field.

[email protected]


MAUI, HAWAII – There’s been fairly brisk uptake of biosimilar infliximab in Europe, both for new patients and as a possible switch from Remicade.

That biosimilar infliximab, Remsima, was submitted for U.S. approval in 2014, and a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recently recommended approval of a biosimilar for filgrastim (Neupogen).

The agents are in the vanguard of what is sure to be an expanding market in the United States as biologics come off patent. Additional infliximab replacements are in the works, as well as biosimilars for etanercept, adalimumab, rituximab, and others.

For rheumatologists, that could mean less expensive treatments for patients, but it’s also likely to make treatment more complicated. Given the complexity of the molecules, the differences between biosimilars and familiar brands could be a bit more marked than those between small-molecule generics and their branded counterparts.

In a video interview at the 2015 Rheumatology Winter Clinical Symposium, Dr. Arthur F. Kavanaugh, a rheumatology professor at the University of California, San Diego, outlined the latest developments and shared his thoughts on the rapidly evolving field.

[email protected]