Biosimilar Renflexis PBS listing brings potential for health budget savings for Australia

1 August 2017

MSD, the non-North America operating name of US pharma giant Merck & Co (NYSE: MRK), has announced the availability of biosimilar Renflexis (infliximab) on the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from August 1.

This is a biosimilar of Remicade, which is health care giant Johnson & Johnson's (NYSE: JNJ) top seller, with 2016 sales totalling around $7 billion. Renflexis was co-developed with South Korean firm Samsung Bioepis.

Renflexis, which is the second infliximab biosimilar to be PBS listed, is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn's disease and moderately severe to severe ulcerative colitis in adults and in children adolescents (6 to 17 years) who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapies, as well as several other inflammatory conditions. MSD’s biosimilar Brenzys (etanercept) was listed on the PBS on April 1, 2017

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