Biosimilars in rheumatology: understanding the rigor of their development

Abstract

This article examines the current landscape of biosimilar development in rheumatology. As misperceptions about biosimilars exist regarding their comparability to the reference products for clinical use, we review the development paradigm with the goal of improving rheumatologists' understanding of the rigor with which biosimilars are developed. With an emphasis on European Union and US markets, it gives an overview of some of the challenges and issues related to biosimilar development that need to be considered by rheumatologists in this increasingly growing therapeutic space.

Keywords: adalimumab; biologics; biosimilar; development; etanercept; infliximab; psoriasis; rheumatoid arthritis; rheumatology.