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Pharmacotherapy

Biosimilar switching — “To set a form upon desired change”

Nature Reviews Rheumatology volume 13, pages 391–392 (2017)Cite this article

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The highly anticipated NOR-SWITCH trial results provide valuable information for patients and physicians concerned about the effects of switching between a biologic agent and a biosimilar product. However, the possibility of frequent switches, potentially involving more than one biosimilar, raises more questions.

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Figure 1: Clinical trials are needed to explore the effects of switching repeatedly between a bio-originator and its biosimilar or between multiple biosimilars.

References

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Acknowledgements

The title of this piece quotes Sonnet 89 by William Shakespeare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, UMass Memorial Medical Centre and University of Massachusetts Medical School, 119 Belmont Street, Worcester, 01605, Massachusetts, USA

    Jonathan Kay

  2. School of Public Health and School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, GH104, 3375 SW Terwilliger Blvd, Portland, 97239, Oregon, USA

    Kevin L. Winthrop

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Correspondence to Jonathan Kay.

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Competing interests

J.K. declares that he has received research support (paid to the University of Massachusetts Medical School) from AbbVie, Genentech, Pfizer, Roche and UCB, and that he has acted as a consultant for Abbvie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Epirus Biopharmaceuticals, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen Biotech, Merck, Pfizer, Roche, Samsung Bioepis, Sandoz, and UCB. K.L.W. declares that he has acted as a consultant for AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celltrion, Genentech, Lilly, Pfizer, Roche and UCB.

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Kay, J., Winthrop, K. Biosimilar switching — “To set a form upon desired change”. Nat Rev Rheumatol 13, 391–392 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2017.79

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