DeZwarteRidder schreef op 9 februari 2019 21:55:
Conclusion
Humira has proven to be a charmed asset. Despite the basket of safety warnings that accompany its numerous television ads, despite long standing competition, from other TNF inhibitor drugs, Enbrel and Remicade, it moves right ahead as a top revenue generator for Abbott and then AbbVie year after year. Now with biosimilars in Europe trimming its sales by undercutting its price, Humira is unlikely to reign as top dog for long.
This brings up the question posed by this article, whether a new class of therapy can take over as Humira loses its top drug mystique. The Global Data graphic does not project any revolutionary move. Instead, I interpret it to infer a cold spell for all RA therapies in 2023 once Humira biosimilars in the US put the hammer down on pricing in the space.
To this point, there is a jumble of competing RA therapies, both TNF and JAK inhibitors, in the US. Humira is the old standby that has proven itself in the market. To this point the duet of approved JAK inhibitors offer alternatives, but given their intrusive black box warnings and comparable effectiveness, not one that demands attention.
Upa and filgo are the great unknowns. Their upcoming dates with the FDA should go a long way to proving whether or not Humira will have a true successor, not just another me too therapy in a basket of choices. The key step will be whether either can avoid a black box warning.
If either does, it will distinguish itself and merit the bandwidth required to assess its efficacy against the competition. As a shareholder in AbbVie and Gilead I am rooting for one or both of upa or filgo to skirt such requirements. I am not optimistic. I fear that each will fall prey to the common scourge of their class as suggested by the meeting abstract referenced here.