Doctor's aptitude for switching from innovator etanercept to biosimilar etanercept in inflammatory rheumatic diseases: experience from a single French rheumatology tertiary care center.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:

To describe the switch to biosimilar etanercept (bETN), evaluate factors associated with this switch, and evaluate the efficacy of this switch in a real-life setting METHODS: We included patients, from October 2016 to April 2017, with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA) who received innovator ETN (iETN) for at least 6 months. After receiving information on biosimilars, all physicians were invited to propose a switch from iETN to bETN. Factors associated with bETN discontinuation were explored by univariate and multivariate analyses. We estimated the proportion of patients still on bETN over time by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. We assessed serum trough concentrations of iETN and bETN and anti-drug antibodies to ETN.

RESULTS:

Overall, 183 outpatients were eligible for a potential switch; 94 (51.6%) switched from iETN to bETN. The probability of a switch was greater with an older than younger aged physician (mean [SD] age 50.4 [14.3] with a switch vs 44.8 [11.3] with no switch, p = 0.005) and the physician having a full-time academic position than other position (56.4% with a switch vs 13.5% with no switch, p < 0.001). After a 6-month follow-up, bETN retention rate was 83% (95% CI: 0.76-0.92). The first cause of bETN discontinuation was inefficacy (50%). On multivariate analysis, no factor was independently associated with a bETN switch or discontinuation. Drug trough levels did not significantly differ by discontinuation or continuation of bETN. No patient showed anti-drug antibodies.

CONCLUSION:

The probability of switching from iETN to bETN was likely related to physician characteristics.

• Authors: Omar Al Tabaa, Adrien Etcheto, Sophie Dumas, Frederic Batteux, Claire Goulvestre, Anna Moltó, Corinne Miceli-Richard, Maxime Dougados
• Journal: European journal of clinical pharmacology (Eur J Clin Pharmacol) Vol. 77 Issue 1 Pg. 25-33 (Jan 2021) ISSN: 1432-1041 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 32888052 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antirheumatic Agents
• Biosimilar Pharmaceuticals
• Etanercept

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Antirheumatic Agents (blood, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use)
• Aptitude
• Arthritis, Rheumatoid (blood, drug therapy, mortality)
• Biosimilar Pharmaceuticals (blood, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use)
• Drug Substitution
• Etanercept (therapeutic use)
• Female
• France
• Humans
• Kaplan-Meier Estimate
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Practice Patterns, Physicians'
• Spondylarthritis (blood, drug therapy, mortality)
• Tertiary Care Centers