Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Jul;397(7):5317-5323.
doi: 10.1007/s00210-024-02951-w. Epub 2024 Jan 17.

Analysis of biosimilars consumption in an Italian Local Health Authority

Francesco Ferrara  1 , Maurizio Capuozzo  2 , Roberto Langella  3 , Ugo Trama  4 , Eduardo Nava  5 , Alessandro Ottaiano  6 , Andrea Zovi  7
Affiliations

Analysis of biosimilars consumption in an Italian Local Health Authority

Francesco Ferrara et al. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol. 2024 Jul.

Abstract

Biosimilar drugs offer an opportunity for all global healthcare systems because they provide significant cost savings while ensuring equal efficacy and safety in the treatment of chronic diseases. These savings can be allocated to support ongoing innovation. An analysis of the usage of major biosimilar drugs across various therapeutic areas has been conducted within an Italian healthcare company serving a population of over one million. Data on consumption, expenditure, and the number of treated patients has been extracted from the company's databases. Finally, a comparison with the year 2021 has been performed to determine if biosimilar drug usage increased in 2022. In 2022, the data reveals that a substantial portion of the analysed active ingredients are being used as biosimilar drugs, except in a few residual cases. However, among the most consumed drugs, resistance still exists in the case of Adalimumab and Etanercept, for which expenditure on originator drugs exceeds 2 million euros. The 2022-2021 comparison highlights the increasing use of biosimilar drugs. This data is encouraging and suggests that in the coming months, we may achieve total utilization, which would be to the benefit of the National Healthcare System (NHS) and the citizens who can rely on an efficient and sustainable healthcare policy that is continually improving.

Keywords: Biological drugs; Biosimilars; Biotechnological; Cost-containment strategies; Pharmaceuticals; Proteins; Sustainability; Therapeutic.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Abitbol V, Benkhalifa S, Habauzit C, Marotte H (2023) Navigating adalimumab biosimilars: an expert opinion. J Comp Eff Res. 12(11):e230117. https://doi.org/10.57264/cer-2023-0117 - DOI - PubMed - PMC
    1. Capuozzo M, Nava E, Cascone S, Cinque C, Marra R, Ottaiano A, Scognamiglio C, Palumbo E (2013) Assessment of expenditure control and prescriptive appropriateness of biological drugs in autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Front Pharmacol 22(4):31. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2013.00031 - DOI
    1. Capuozzo M, Celotto V, Zovi A, Langella R, Ferrara F (2023) Recovery of suspended reimbursements of high-cost drugs subjected to monitoring registries and negotiated agreements (MEAs): a tool for governance and clinical appropriateness in the Italian reality. Eur J Health Econ. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-023-01640-4 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chin WW (2015) A delicate balance—pharmaceutical innovation and access. N Engl J Med. 373(19):1799–801. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp1513227 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Curto S, Ghislandi S, van de Vooren K, Duranti S, Garattini L (2014) Regional tenders on biosimilars in Italy: an empirical analysis of awarded prices. Health Policy 116(2–3):182–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2014.02.011 - DOI - PubMed

Substances

LinkOut - more resources