Opinion: Five years on, biosimilars need support from all health care players

Today marks a milestone for the U.S. biosimilar market: the FDA approved our first biosimilar, Sandoz’s Zarxio, five years ago, on March 6, 2015.

The biosimilar category holds incredible promise, and the market for these products is on an upward trajectory. But it’s been a long journey and biosimilars have faced hurdles at every progression point. Every innovator company has filed legal action in some form against a biosimilar manufacturer to protect its patents and brand position, so before biosimilars even have a chance to compete, they are generally saddled with legal fees or settlement expenses, which have become another cost of entry.

Once the early biosimilars made it to the market, they were generally met with lukewarm responses from providers, payers, and other health care stakeholders. For example, it has taken Zarxio to gain more than 50% market by some innovator companies have sown doubt among providers and played into the category’s slow start.