Policy and Market Failures Stifle Biosimilar Adoption in the U.S.

Delayed Adoption of Biosimilars Has Cost America’s Health Care System $2.2 Billion Since 2015

WASHINGTON, DC (SEPTEMBER 9, 2019) — The Biosimilars Council, a division of the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM), today released Part II of its white paper series, “Failure to Launch,” finding that anti-competitive rebating tactics by brand-name manufacturers, coupled with policy failures and inadequate incentives for biosimilar use, stifle biosimilars adoption in the United States. This has resulted in nearly $2.2 billion in lost savings for America’s health care system and patients since 2015.

Part I of this series, “Failure to Launch: Patent Abuse Blocks Access to Biosimilars for America’s Patients,” found that delayed launch of biosimilars due to patent thickets has cost the U.S. health care system an astounding $7.6 billion in lost savings since 2015.

In total, America’s patients have lost nearly $10 billion in potential biosimilar savings since 2015. These lost savings directly result from anti-competitive tactics by brand-name manufacturers and multiple policy failures. Patients, taxpayers and the overall health care system are bearing the costs of these tactics.

“If brand-name manufacturers can kill the financial viability of manufacturing less-expensive competitors, there will be no potential for future investment in biosimilars, effectively locking in monopoly pricing and losing billions in savings that America simply cannot afford,” says Christine Simmon, Executive Director, Biosimilars Council, and Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategic Alliances, AAM.

Read the full white paper: Failure to Launch: Barriers to Biosimilar Market Adoption.

About AAM

AAM is driven by the belief that access to safe, quality, effective medicine has a tremendous impact on a person’s life and the world around them. Generic and biosimilar medicines improve people’s lives, improving society and the economy in turn. AAM represents the manufacturers and distributors of finished generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars, manufacturers and distributors of bulk pharmaceutical chemicals, and suppliers of other goods and services to the generic industry. Generic pharmaceuticals are 90 percent of prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. but only 22 percent of total drug spending.

About the Biosimilars Council

The Biosimilars Council, a division of the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM), works to ensure a positive environment for patient access to biosimilar medicines. The Biosimilars Council is a leading source for information about the safety and efficacy of more affordable alternatives to costly brand biologic medicines. Areas of focus include public and health expert education, strategic partnerships, government affairs, legal affairs and regulatory policy. More information is available at www.biosimilarscouncil.org.