Mark Lebwohl, MD discusses the potential role of biosimilars in dermatology.

Two new studies of biosimilars of tumor necrosis factor blockers that are used to treat a number of dermatologic conditions suggest that they are equivalent to their originator drugs, but there may be more involved in making the decision about switching to a biosimilar than lower cost.

Reporting their findings in JAMA Dermatology, Loft et al described a nationwide switch for patients with psoriasis in Denmark from originator adalimumab to adalimumab biosimilars and report that the 1-year drug retention for patients making that switch was the same between those switching to the biosimilar and those receiving the originator drug. In addition, a study by Westerkam et al compares infliximab with biosimilar infliximab for treatment of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa and found no significant difference between the two treatment groups.

“The hope for biosimilars is that they would lower the cost of these very expensive drugs and thus make them much more accessible to patients who could not otherwise afford them,” says Mark Lebwohl, MD  Dean of Clinical Therapeutics at the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Dr. Lebwohl wrote an editorial accompanying the two new studies in JAMA Dermatology.

“Because the pace of drug development in psoriasis has been so rapid, by the time biosimilars are available, drugs that are more effective and safer have been developed,” he says.  “It would be bad practice to force a patient to fail a less effective or less safe biosimilar just because of a slightly reduced cost.  While drug development in hidradenitis has not been as rapid, that is changing quickly as well.”