OBJECTIVES: This study aims to assess the potential NHS savings due to biosimilars adoption and the related market dynamics of originators and other patent-protected molecules within the same therapeutic area.

METHODS: 18 biosimilar products and 7 originators in 3 therapeutic areas were selected for the analysis (14 TNF inhibitors - TNFi, 6 insulins and 5 low molecular weight heparins - LMWH). To investigate the consumption of biosimilars and the impact of the purchasing price on expenditure trends within each molecule and therapeutic area, retail and hospital sales data were obtained from IQVIA proprietary database from 2018 to 2022, in terms of values (net acquisition prices) and volume (days of therapy).

RESULTS: The analyses led to different results in the 3 therapeutic areas. The consumption of biosimilars increased between 2018 and 2022 reaching a peak of 95% among TNFi molecules, generating a 20% net costs saving in the TNFi class and a 2% reduction considering the whole therapeutic areas, even with several recent launches. Conversely, biosimilar insulins reached a maximum of 15% of consumption, without influencing acquisition costs within the therapeutic class. In the LMWH class biosimilars gained a 77% of consumption compared to biologics, while variations in the total expenditure were not observed for the therapeutic class.

CONCLUSIONS: Biosimilars’ market dynamics greatly vary according to molecule and therapeutic area. While the number of biosimilar products doesn’t seem to affect their uptake, intra-molecule competition may represent the main driver for costs reduction. Indirect competition outcomes seem influenced by specific market variables (e.g., distribution channel, prescriber perception and local policies). In conclusion, with increasing biologics facing patent expiry, there are still opportunities to maximize biosimilars uptake, potentially resulting in a positive effect on NHS budget.