Ntais Christos, Kontodimopoulos Nikolaos, Fanourgiakis John, Talias Michael A
Healthcare Management Program, School of Economics & Management, Open University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Healthcare Management Program, School of Social Sciences, Hellenic Open University, Patras, Greece.
F1000Res. 2025 Apr 4;13:1128. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.156983.2. eCollection 2024.
Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have been successfully treated using biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. These medications are not utilized as first-line treatment, in part because of their high cost, but they are frequently seen to be cost-effective for RA patient populations that do not respond adequately to conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Moreover, not all RA patients who meet clinical eligibility criteria can access biologics, not even as second-line therapy. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in biosimilars that are highly comparable to their originator biologics in terms of efficacy and safety but generally come at a lower price. This review summarizes the potential role of biosimilars in reducing RA expenditure and increasing RA patient access to biologic therapies. As the global landscape for biosimilars continues to evolve, it is essential to consider the unique challenges and opportunities in different healthcare systems. By leveraging the potential of biosimilars, healthcare systems can improve RA management, ease its economic burden and ensure that patients have access to effective and affordable treatments. The future of RA treatment lies in the integration of biosimilars into clinical practice, offering hope for more sustainable and equitable healthcare systems.
类风湿关节炎（RA）等免疫介导的炎症性疾病已通过生物改善病情抗风湿药得到成功治疗。这些药物未被用作一线治疗，部分原因是其成本高昂，但对于对传统改善病情抗风湿药反应不佳的RA患者群体而言，它们常常被视为具有成本效益。此外，并非所有符合临床适用标准的RA患者都能使用生物制剂，即使作为二线治疗也不行。最近，人们对生物类似药的兴趣日益浓厚，这些生物类似药在疗效和安全性方面与原研生物制剂高度可比，但价格通常较低。本综述总结了生物类似药在降低RA治疗费用以及增加RA患者获得生物治疗机会方面的潜在作用。随着生物类似药的全球格局不断演变，必须考虑不同医疗体系中独特的挑战和机遇。通过利用生物类似药的潜力，医疗体系可以改善RA的管理，减轻其经济负担，并确保患者能够获得有效且负担得起的治疗。RA治疗的未来在于将生物类似药融入临床实践，为更可持续和公平的医疗体系带来希望。
