An interesting spat about biosimilars has emerged between two prominent policy-oriented physicians.
Dr. Peter Bach of Memorial Sloan Kettering and Mark Trusheim of MIT argues that we should “throw in the towel” on biosimilars and begin regulating drug prices.
On the other side, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA commissioner, argues that we shouldn’t give up on biosimilars, but instead make structural and legislative changes that would increase competition.
To inform the debate, I share below the latest data on biosimilar adoption. As you will see, adoption rates for the most recently launched products—biosimilars of Neulasta and Epogen—are growing quickly, and prices are declining. These products are penetrating the market much faster than the biosimilars of Remicade did. Substitution rates for the upcoming wave of oncology biosimilars will likely penetrate even faster.
That’s why I concur with Dr. Gottlieb: Regulating prices at this stage of the market’s development is premature. This strategy may save some money in the short run, but it risks destroying a market that is finally beginning to fulfill its promise.
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