January 21, 2021
There’s nothing modest about the biologic and biosimilar industry. Here are some figures that highlight the strength of this continually evolving ecosystem.
Bird’s eye view
7: Number of biologics in the top 10 best-selling drugs in Canada, accounting for $5.3B in annual sales.1,2
2015: The year Health Canada approved the first biosimilar for a high-cost originator biologic.1
31: Number of biosimilars approved in Canada, with a further 10 under review.1
3.9%: Biosimilars’ share of total Canadian biologic prescriptions as of June 2020.3
Biologic powerhouse
$1.1B: Annual sales of originator biologic Remicade (infliximab), the top-ranked drug in Canada by sales value.4
2%: Year-over-year growth of Remicade as of June 2020, 8 years after loss of patent.4
2015: Year that the first infliximab biosimilar, Inflectra, was approved by Health Canada; 3 other biosimilars have received NOC since that time.5
10.3%: Biosimilar share of the infliximab market as of November 2020,6 compared to a median uptake of 55% across OECD countries.35
Kinetic energy
$930M: Annual sales of Humira (adalimumab), ranked #2 in Canada by sales value.4
8.5%: Humira’s year-over-year growth as of June 2020.4
6: Number of adalimumab biosimilars expected to enter the market in early 2021.5
$300M: Potential savings this biosimilar competition could generate for Canadian payers.5
Bold steps in British Columbia
75%: Proportion of BC patients who successfully transitioned to biosimilars during Phase One and Two of BC’s Biosimilars Switching Initiative.7
$127M: Estimated savings netted by the initiative as of August 2020.8
$22M: Savings reported in June 2020 by Pacific Blue Cross in June 2020, after the private payer aligned with the initiative.9
2: Additional medications, Jardiance & Taltz, that BC Pharmacare was able to include in its formulary thanks to the savings from the initiative.10
Meanwhile, in Ontario
35%: Expected proportion of infliximab and etanercept patients in Ontario who will be using a biosimilar product in early 2022, absent a provincial biosimilar policy.11
References:
20Sense research. January 2021.
IQVIA report: 2019 top-50 products by total ethical purchases.
Specialty Pharma virtual summit, Session 5: the future of biosimilars in Canada. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb43_JfBztA&feature=youtu.be
IQVIA report: Leading biologics by drugstore & hospital sales, 12 months ending June 2020.
20Sense research. January 2021.
IQVIA report: PharmaFocus 2024 Update. Canadian Drugstore and Hospital Audit. MAT November 2020.
British Columbia Biosimilars Initiative for Pharmacies: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/practitioner-professional-resources/pharmacare/pharmacies/biosimilars-initiative-pharmacies
Hagen T. British Columbia moves into third phase of mandatory switching. AJMC. The Center for Biosimilars. Aug. 25, 2020. https://www.centerforbiosimilars.com/view/british-columbia-moves-into-third-phase-of-mandatory-switching
Biosimilars transitioning: a private payor’s journey. Pacific Blue Cross. https://virtualsymposium.cadth.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Poster_1895.pdf
B.C. expands use of biosimilars to offer coverage for more treatment options. BC Gov News, May 27, 2019. https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2019HLTH0080-001072
Utilization of Innovator Biologics and Biosimilars for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases in Canada: A Provincial Perspective. CADTH. Jan. 2020. https://www.cadth.ca/sites/default/files/ou-tr/ho0007-biosimilars-utilization-final.pdf
Humphries B et al. Case study to explore patient-level impact of adoption of subsequent entry biologic anti-TNF medicines. PDCI Market Access. https://www.capt-actp.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/26-PDCI_CAPT_Biosimilar-Adoption-Poster_October-2020.pdf
2020 Drug Trends and Strategic Insights. HBM+. https://hbmplus.ca/en-ca/Our-publications/2020-Drug-Trends-and-Strategic-Insights-Report
Pan-Canadian Oncology Biosimilars Summit. March 2019. https://www.cancercareontario.ca/sites/ccocancercare/files/assets/PanCanadianBiosimilarsSummitProceedingsReport_0.pdf
The Future of Biosimilars in Canada. Specialty Pharma Virtual Summit, September 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb43_JfBztA&feature=youtu.be
Murdoch B, Caulfield T. The Law and Ethics of Switching from Biologic to Biosimilar in Canada. JCAG 2020; 3:228.
Inserro A. Nocebo effect can hamper biosimilar acceptance, review says. AJMC. The Center for Biosimilars. Dec. 6, 2019. https://www.centerforbiosimilars.com/view/nocebo-effect-can-hamper-biosimilar-acceptance-review-says
Biosimilars initiative for pharmacies. British Columbia. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/practitioner-professional-resources/pharmacare/pharmacies/biosimilars-initiative-pharmacies
Hagen T. British Columbia Moves Into Third Phase of Mandatory Switching. AJMC. The Center for Biosimilars. August 25, 2020. https://www.centerforbiosimilars.com/view/british-columbia-moves-into-third-phase-of-mandatory-switching
B.C. expands use of biosimilars to offer coverage for more treatment options. BC Gov News, May 27, 2019. https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2019HLTH0080-001072
Notice – tiered biologics reimbursement policy. Effective August 15, 2018. Manitoba. https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/pharmacare/profdocs/notice_tiered_biologics.pdf
Provincial and territorial biologic policies. GI society. June 2020. https://badgut.org/information-centre/a-z-digestive-topics/provincial-biologics-policies/
2020 prescription drug trend report. Express Scripts Canada. https://www.express-scripts.ca/sites/default/files/ESC%20DTR%202020%20EN%20(final).pdf
Safety of switching biologics and their interchangeability. INESSS. https://www.inesss.qc.ca/fileadmin/doc/INESSS/Rapports/Medicaments/CoupDoeil_switching_biologics_EN.pdf
Current and prospective utilization of innovator biologics and biosimilars in Ontario. ODPRN. January 2020. https://odprn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Utilization-of-Innovator-Biologics-and-Biosimilars-in-Ontario.pdf
Ontario becomes third Canadian province to switch patients to biosimilars. GaBI Online. June 3, 2020. https://www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/General/Ontario-becomes-third-Canadian-province-to-switch-patients-to-biosimilars
Utilization of Innovator Biologics and Biosimilars for Chronic Inflammatory Diseases in Canada: A Provincial Perspective. CADTH. January 2020. https://www.cadth.ca/sites/default/files/ou-tr/ho0007-biosimilars-utilization-final.pdf
Dossa A. Biosimilar transitioning: A private payor’s journey. CADTH symposium, June 2020. https://virtualsymposium.cadth.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Poster_1895.pdf
Patient support program enrolment forms. RheumInfo. https://rheuminfo.com/physician-tools/patient-support-program-enrolment-forms/#Truxima
Introducing Canada’s only electronic prior authorization. Telus Health. https://plus.telushealth.co/page/healthbenefits/epa/
The 20Sense Report, issue #11, January 23, 2020. https://www.20sense.ca/issue-11/2020/1/23/one-psp-challenge-four-big-ideas
Pan-Canadian Oncology Biosimilars Initiative Action Plan. March 2019. https://www.cancercareontario.ca/sites/ccocancercare/files/assets/PanCanadianOncologyBiosimilarsActionPlan_0.pdf
Reducing Uncertainty and Driving the Uptake of Biosimilars. Panel Discussion. 2020 CADTH Symposium.
Information and resources on biosimilar drugs for health care professionals. BC Cancer. http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/health-professionals/clinical-resources/biosimilar-drugs
Poster: Biosimilars in Canada: Current Environment and Future Opportunity, PMPRB. http://www.pmprb-cepmb.gc.ca/CMFiles/NPDUIS/2019_Posters/poster8-biosimilars.pdf.