Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Don't Expect A Price War Between J&J, Pfizer Over Arthritis Treatment
Stat: Are Concerns About A Price War Between Johnson & Johnson And Pfizer 'Overblown'?
After Pfizer announced earlier this week that it will sell a biosimilar version of Remicade, the blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis treatment, Johnson & Johnson executives are scrambling to calm investors who worry the health care giant will quickly lose a big chunk of revenue. That’s because Pfizer plans to sell Inflectra at a 15 percent discount to Remicade, which generated roughly $1.2 billion in sales for Johnson & Johnson in this year’s first quarter. A biosimilar, you may recall, is a nearly identical variant of a biologic and is expected to provide the same result in patients, which means the Pfizer medicine is poised to eat into Remicade sales. The question, though, is by how much? (Silverman, 10/19)
NPR: Inflectra To Cost Only 15 Percent Less Than Remicade
Generic drugs generally cost 80 percent less than brand-name drugs, so hopes were high when a law enacted in 2010 paved the way for competition among the highest-priced drugs of all, known as biologics. But, as these competing drugs start to appear on the market, consumers aren't reaping a windfall. (Harris, 10/19)
