Humira Rivals Set to Try to Drive Down Cost of Blockbuster Drug
Celine Castronuovo | Bloomberg Law News
“More than 1.4 million patients have used Humira globally, according to AbbVie. The drug takes up a huge chunk of Medicare spending in the US, with an HHS watchdog report finding that the treatment, together with anti-inflammatory brand-name drug Enbrel, accounted for more than $5.7 billion in Part D spending in 2019.
Given the long-term success of Humira, which can cost patients up to $84,000 a year, initial uptake of the biosimilars may be limited, said Alex Brill, founder and CEO of economic policy consulting firm Matrix Global Advisors.
“When someone has a condition and the treatment for that condition brings things under control, they are naturally going to be hesitant to try an alternative, even though the alternative will be equally effective,” Brill said.”
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