Biosimilars - friend or foe?
Like many others I have been on multiple biologics over the years until my Dr. found the right one for me. I started out on Remicade which worked very well (over 10 years) for me until it didn't. And then was on the journey to find something that would work. I tried and failed three different biologics until 2 years ago when Stelara finally seemed to work for me. I have been in a no symptom remission since August 2024 and at my last colonoscopy (January 2024) my Dr. told me my colon looked so good that if he didn't know me better, he would say I didn't have UC.
My happy dance only lasted 2 months. Then I received a letter from my insurance company stating that they would no longer cover the cost of Stelara and that I would have to switch to the biosimilar Yesintek. It didn't take long in my research of this "new" drug to see that it was only FDA approved in the US on Feb 25th. From what I understand
it has been on the market in Europe for many years but not available in the US because of the Patent that the drug company for Stelara had.
Needless to say, I am a wee bit anxious that since I am doing so well currently that any change will rock my boat and send me out of remission. I'm sure there are many of you who have been put into this same situation. Can anyone share if you are on this biosimilar and how it is working for you?
Thanks for any help.
Hi
. Your concerns are certainly understandable - you are in a good place and it makes sense to take an if it's not broke don't fix it stance. I can't personally speak to this issue, but this article on UC research explains that "The manufacturer of a biosimilar must show that there are no clinically meaningful differences between the biosimilar and the original biologic:" https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/types-of-ibd/ulcerative-colitis/uc-research. This article on biosimilars offers more information: https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/treatment/medications/biosimilars. I also want to share with you an article from a friend Rick from our sister-site for RA on why he actually chose to switch to a biosimilar: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/changing-biologics-biosimilars. The other thing I know is that a major difference from the reference drug (original biologic) for some has been that the preservatives and additives with the drug are different and can illicit a different reaction if there were to be any allergies. I hope this information is helpful and that others chime in with their experiences. Please feel free to keep us posted on how you are doing and really hope things go well. Best, Richard (Team Member) Thank you for the information, I'll take a look at the links you sent. My next injection will be in May with the biosimilar. I'll let you know how it goes.
