Background/Purpose: To compare the characteristics of patients who receive biosimilars against patients receiving bio-originators.

Methods: The Adelphi Biosimilars Programme 2016 is a cross-sectional survey of German rheumatologists who prescribe biosimilars. For a sample of their RA, AxSpA and PsA first line biosimilar or bio-originator patients, initiated since 2015 (the introduction of biosimilars in Germany), rheumatologists reported patient characteristics including: demographics, insurance coverage, clinical status and treatment history. Physicians were asked to describe a typical biosimilar patient in comparison to a bio-originator patient.

Results: No differences were observed in age, gender, ethnicity, BMI and employment status between biosimilar patients (n=100) and bio-originator patients (n=52). Patients initiated on bio-originators were more likely to have private health coverage (13%) than biosimilar patients (8%). 8% of biosimilar patients were ‘deteriorating rapidly’ at therapy initiation but this was 21% in bio-originator patients. Biosimilar patients were using non-advanced therapies (e.g. DMARD) for 11.6 months longer than bio-originator patients. Rheumatologist responses suggested there is no ‘typical’ biosimilar patient from a clinical/demographic perspective, though 28% stated it was cost difference that motivates them to prescribe to a specific patient.

Conclusion: The data shows that biosimilars are initiated in patients who are clinically less severe than bio-originator patients and that they also spend more time on alternative non-biologic therapies before biologic initiation. This suggests that when a more severe patient is being treated physician are more likely to choose are more well-known bio-originator. Physicians did not describe a ‘typical’ patient in terms of clinical characteristics and stated that it was cost reasons that would drive them to prescribe biosimilars in most patients, suggesting that payer pressure is influencing prescribing decisions.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/comparisons-of-patients-prescribed-biosimilars-or-bio-originators-for-autoimmune-diseases-in-germany/