Overview
Biosimilar competition is providing payers with opportunities to contain costs in a category that accounts for a significant proportion of total drug expenditure. The launch of the biosimilar insulin Basaglar is a threat to the insulin-based product market, which includes long-time reference product Lantus as well as newer entrants Toujeo and Tresiba. More aggressive payers are excluding branded insulin products in favor of the less expensive biosimilar, forcing switches in existing patient populations. As such, manufacturers of branded insulin products will need to offer deeper discounts to remain on payers’ formularies and contracts.
Biosimilar competition is providing payers with opportunities to contain costs in a category that accounts for a significant proportion of total drug expenditure. The launch of the biosimilar insulin Basaglar is a threat to the insulin-based product market, which includes long-time reference product Lantus as well as newer entrants Toujeo and Tresiba. More aggressive payers are excluding branded insulin products in favor of the less expensive biosimilar, forcing switches in existing patient populations. As such, manufacturers of branded insulin products will need to offer deeper discounts to remain on payers’ formularies and contracts.
Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARYUS
Insights and strategic recommendations
US payers are adopting a wait-and-see approach for biosimilar Basaglar
Bibliography
FIVE MAJOR EU MARKETS
Insights and strategic recommendations
Uptake of biosimilar insulin varies across EU markets as the EMA does not determine interchangeability
Physicians and payers have varying views on the interchangeability of biosimilar insulins, but see large opportunities to
reduce costs
Payers use biosimilars to pressure originators on pricing
Pharmacies continue to procure both biosimilars and originators; dynamic pricing environment observed
Patient switching requires significant discounts of at least 30%
Given attractive discounts, payers will use a variety of market access tools to drive Basaglar’s uptake
Bibliography
METHODOLOGY
Primary research
List of Tables
Table 1: Market access tools used to promote biosimilar uptake in the five major EU markets, by country
