22 September 2016 - Infliximab “biosimilars”—biological therapies engineered to work in the same way as the monoclonal antibody drug infliximab (Remicade)—are safe and effective and could halve the cost of inflammatory bowel disease treatment, a report by the Royal College of Physicians has found.

Use of these medicines could cut the cost of an annual course of treatment from around £10, 000 to around £5,000, the authors said.

Given their reduced cost, clinicians should use biosimilars as first-line treatment for appropriate patients with active inflammatory bowel disease and should consider switching those currently being treated with Remicade, said the report.

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