US nephrologists expect rapid adoption of USA's first biosimilars - epoetin alfa

More than 60% of surveyed nephrologists in the USA expect to begin prescribing biosimilar epoetin alfa within the first 12 months of launch. According to Biosimilars Advisory Service: Physician Perspectives on Erythropoiesis-stimulating Agents, Insulin, and Human Growth Hormone from Decision Resources BioTrends unit, US nephrologists’ predicted speed of uptake is on a par with uptake rates reported among surveyed German nephrologists who have one of the highest usage rates of biosimilar epoetin alfa across Europe.

“We also found that US nephrologists expect to prescribe biosimilar darbepoetin alfa to a greater percentage of their eligible patients than their French and German peers,” said Biosimilars Advisory Services’ director, Andrew Merron, adding: “This suggests that biosimilar erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) will experience deeper, as well as more rapid, market penetration in the United States than we’ve seen in Europe as a whole.”

Uptake of biosimilar insulins will be significantly slower