15 October 2018
The biological medicine on which we spend the most in the NHS – adalimumab - comes off patent this month with alternatives likely to be available from December 2018.
If patients receiving adalimumab for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis are treated with the best value biological product, significant NHS resources could be released which can be reinvested in patient care.
This article provided by NHS Improvement explains more about the situation and switching treatments and links with policy work and recommendations that we have produced on the use of biosimilars.
Reacting to the news that arthritis medicine adalimumab is coming off patent, Dr Elizabeth Price, President of British Society for Rheumatology, said: “Advances in medicines and a growing demand for treating chronic conditions means that the NHS spends £400 million a year on the treatment adalimumab.
“With adalimumab coming off patent, it’s a real opportunity to switch to better value biosimilars which promises a significant saving. This makes the work involved in facilitating the change very worthwhile because it can benefit the whole of the NHS and ultimately arthritis patients.
“Rheumatology is in a great position to take the lead on this, so we have developed a new factsheet for our rheumatology and musculoskeletal care professionals to support them in this change.”