Pfizer accuses J&J of illegally blocking biosimilar's progress

Pharma giant Pfizer has filed a US lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, accusing the healthcare firm of using exclusionary contracts and other 'anticompetitive' practices to maintain its monopoly in connection with the arthritis drug Remicade (infliximab).

Pfizer’s biosimilar version was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in April 2016 but the company claims that J&J’s tactics have resulted in insurers refusing to pay for it, despite the copycat drug’s price being considerably cheaper than the original.