The world of autoimmune treatments has seen a new addition with the launch of Amjevita, the first Humira biosimilar. Humira, the swiss knife medication, has been available in the US since 2002 and has been a game-changer in treating various autoimmune conditions. With the advent of biosimilars, patients now have access to more affordable options with similar efficacy and safety profiles.
Amgen’s Amjevita has a small time gap (6 months) as the only biosimilar, and that would change come July 2023 when potentially seven more biosimilar competitors could enter the market. Recent quarter earnings for Abbvie clearly indicated huge reliance of Immunology portfolio on Humira with sales of $5B in US and the newer Immunology drugs in Rinvoq and Skyrizi still scaling up and contributing to around than 40% of Humira’s revenue collectively at $2B.
Richard Gonzalez, Chairman & CEO of Abbvie, sounded positive saying “ We have a solid foundation which will allow us to absorb the U.S. Humira loss of exclusivity, return to strong top-line growth in 2025 and drive top-tier financial performance over the long term.”
ZoomRx conducted a survey with a panel of 30 Gastros and Rheums to understand their perception of the new biosimilar. Although only 10% of HCPs recalled Amjevita unaided, over 60% indicated awareness when prompted. Despite Humira being the preferred option for most HCPs due to its familiarity and ease of use, 70% of HCPs are likely to prescribe Amjevita in some capacity, following a payer-dependent approach.
Some of the first impression of Amjevita from ZoomRx panel HCPs here -
“Comes from a reliable manufacturer with robust patient support program, in theory better coverage from a patient access perspective.“
“I know very little about it. I know it's one of more than a dozen adalimumab biosimilars. They're each slightly different with varying degrees of similarity to the original product in reference to concentration.”
“A promising biosimilar to help treat more patients who can’t afford biologics.”
“The reason [for my likelihood to use Amjevita] is that I suspect it will be preferred by the payer. It’ll be interesting to see over time, which biosimilar becomes a preferred product given the first to market advantage of Humira over the Biosimilar”
“It's going to become so confusing with the multitude of biosimilars. It’s not going be a matter of preference, rather ultimately come down to cost and coverage“
The launch of Amjevita marks the beginning of a new era in the world of autoimmune treatments. With atleast 8 Humira biosimilars expected to launch later this year, patients now have access to more affordable options with similar efficacy and safety profiles. It is essential for healthcare providers and patients to stay updated about these developments and make informed decisions about their treatment options.
Stay tuned for more updates on the exciting launch of Humira biosimilars in the coming months!
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