Rheumatology Advisor interviewed HSS rheumatologist Allan Gibofsky, MD, about the potential financial benefits of switching stable patients with a rheumatic disease from an originator biologic to a biosimilar.

"If a patient is stable on a biosimilar, then their monitoring regimen is the same as that of a bio-originator. If a patient becomes stable, then it is as if they are on the bio-originator, and there ought to be no incremental costs," Dr. Gibofsky explained.

"There should not be that much disruption when you switch a stable patient. Patients ought to be stable for at least 6 months before you do anything. If they flare, you can switch them back. In most cases, they will recapture their stable state, but some won't," he added.

Read the full article at rheumatologyadvisor.com.