New analysis of potential savings from Biosimilars in USA

Introducing competing “biosimilar” versions of complex biologic drugs used to treat illnesses such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis could cut spending on biologics in the USA by $44 billion over the next decade, according to new analysis from the RAND Corp.

While biologics have advanced medical treatment for many conditions, they often are expensive and patient co-pays for some biologics can be several thousand dollars per year. In 2011, eight of the top 20 drugs in the USA in terms of sales were biologics and the annual spending on the drugs has grown three times faster than other prescription medications.

Biosimilars regulatory process being developed by FDA