Posted by Michael Wonder on 25 Jul 2023
Launch of arthritis drug biosimilars ramps up US pressure on pricing 'middlemen'
25 July 2023 - Cheaper versions of one of the most costly and widely used arthritis treatments in the US are likely to fuel further scrutiny of the middlemen that negotiate drug prices for most insured Americans from law makers and the federal government, according to health care experts.
Seven drug makers this month launched their own versions, known as biosimilars, of AbbVie's flagship arthritis drug Humira, once the world's top selling prescription medicine. Three have kept their list price within 5%-7% of AbbVie's, two priced at an 85% discount and two have offered both types of prices.
