Real World Switching Patterns of Etanercept Original and Biosilmilar in Germany

Rieke Alten¹, Miriam Tarallo ², Christen Gray ³ and Cristiana Miglio ³, ¹Schlosspark-Klinik University Medicine, Berlin, Germany, ²Pfizer Inc., Rome, Italy, ³IQVIA, London, United Kingdom

Meeting: 2019 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting

Keywords: Biosimilars and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), etanercept

Session Information

Date: Monday, November 11, 2019

Title: RA – Treatments Poster II: Established Treatments

Session Type: Poster Session (Monday)

Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM

Background/Purpose: We have previously evaluated switching dynamics between etanercept biologic original (EtnBO) and etanercept biosimilars (EtnBS) over approximately 18 months following the first EtnBS launch in Germany (February 2016). As new data has become available, analysis was repeated over longer time-periods.

Methods: Patients receiving their first EtnBS prescription in February 2016-October 2018 were retrospectively identified in the German Longitudinal Prescriptions database (IQVIA^® LRx, January 2008-October 2018). The proportion, mean age and gender of patients previously treated with EtnBO was determined using a 12-month lookback period. For these patients, the proportions of those switching to other biologics and of those switching back to EtnBO were evaluated, along with mean age, gender and median time to switch-back. The analysis was performed separately for patients initiating EtnBS in three consecutive 11-month time-periods from EtnBS launch: February 2016-December 2016 (period 1), January 2017-November 2017 (period 2), and December 2017-October 2018 (period 3).

Results: Of 16,543 identified patients (56 years, 34% males) initiating EtnBS, 4,471 (27%) had prior EtnBO (56 year, 38% males): 1,311 in period 1, 1,683 in period 2 and 1,653 in period 3. After initiation, the proportion of patients who switched from EtnBS to other biologics in period 1, 2 and 3 respectively was 186 (14%), 187 (11%) and 71 (4%) and of those who switched back to EtnBO was 278 (21%), 381 (23%) and 278 (17%). The median time to switch-back was similar across the 3 periods (3-4 months), as was the age and gender distribution across the different patient groups.

Conclusion: This study confirms previous findings on switching dynamics between EtnBO and its biosimilars and shows that approximately a fifth of patients in the entire study period switch back to EtnBO after 3-4 months from EtnBS initiation. Future research should explore factors influencing switching dynamics.

Disclosure: R. Alten, Galapagos, 2, Galapagos NV, 2, Gilead, 2, Gilead Sciences, Inc., 2, Novartis, 2, Pfizer, 2, 8; M. Tarallo, Pfizer Inc., 3, 4; C. Gray, IQVIA, 3; C. Miglio, IQVIA, 3.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Alten R, Tarallo M, Gray C, Miglio C. Real World Switching Patterns of Etanercept Original and Biosilmilar in Germany [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2019; 71 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/real-world-switching-patterns-of-etanercept-original-and-biosilmilar-in-germany/. Accessed .

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