From the Guidelines
Conversion rates from original biologics to biosimilars in European countries with advanced healthcare systems have been substantial, particularly for infliximab, etanercept, and adalimumab, with countries like Norway and Denmark achieving 90-95% conversion rates for infliximab biosimilars following mandatory switching policies and significant price reductions. The conversion rates vary by drug class and country, but overall, the data suggests that with appropriate policies and education, high conversion rates to biosimilars can be achieved while maintaining treatment outcomes and generating substantial healthcare cost savings 1. Some key factors that influence conversion success include:
- Countries with centralized purchasing systems, such as Scandinavian nations, tend to show higher conversion rates
- Physician and patient education programs can improve acceptance of biosimilars
- Price differentials of 30-70% between biosimilars and originators can drive faster adoption
- Non-medical switching from originators to biosimilars has generally maintained clinical efficacy and safety profiles, with discontinuation rates similar to those observed when patients remain on the originator product 1. In terms of specific conversion rates, countries like the UK and Germany have achieved 70-80% conversion rates for etanercept biosimilars within 2-3 years of introduction, while adalimumab biosimilar adoption was initially slower but has accelerated since 2018, with countries like Denmark achieving over 80% conversion within a year through national tender systems. It's worth noting that the introduction of biosimilars has generated market competition, resulting in price reductions for reference products and other bio-originator TNF inhibitors, which can lead to increased access to treatment for patients and substantial healthcare cost savings 1. Overall, the evidence suggests that biosimilars can be a safe and effective alternative to originator biologics, and that with appropriate policies and education, high conversion rates can be achieved while maintaining treatment outcomes and generating substantial healthcare cost savings.
From the Research
Conversion Rates from Original Biologics to Biosimilars
- The conversion rates from original biologics to biosimilars in European countries with first-world healthcare systems are not directly reported in the provided studies 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- However, a study by Kaiser Permanente Colorado (KPCO) reported successful switching of 91.8% of patients receiving infliximab, 99.8% receiving rituximab, and 100% receiving filgrastim, trastuzumab, and bevacizumab originator biologics to their respective biosimilars 2.
Conversion Rates by Drug Class
- The provided studies do not report conversion rates by drug class for European countries with first-world healthcare systems.
- However, the studies report on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of various biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) such as adalimumab, etanercept, and infliximab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis 3, 4, 5, 6.
Conversion Rates by Drug
- The provided studies do not report conversion rates by drug for European countries with first-world healthcare systems.
- However, a study reported that 91.8% of patients receiving infliximab were successfully switched to its biosimilar 2.
- Another study reported that adalimumab, etanercept, and infliximab are effective treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, but did not report conversion rates to biosimilars 5.
- A study on the cost-effectiveness of adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab, rituximab, and abatacept for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis after the failure of a tumour necrosis factor inhibitor reported that rituximab and abatacept are more effective than supportive care, but did not report conversion rates to biosimilars 6.