title: Etanercept biosimilars.
abstract: Etanercept was the first tumour necrosis factor alpha antagonist approved in the USA for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, in 1998, and then for other diseases. With the etanercept patent set to expire in the EU in 2015, a number of etanercept copies have reached the production phase and are undergoing clinical trials, with the promise of being cheaper alternatives to the reference product. In a global scenario that is favourable to the entry of biosimilars, this article discusses the stage of development, manufacture, clinical trials and the regulatory process involved in the approval of etanercept biosimilars, compiling the literature data. Reducing treatment cost is the principal attraction for biosimilars to emerge in the global market. It is essential for the doctors' decision on the prescription of these medications, as well as for payers, to have clearly defined studies of clinical equivalence, quality, and safety in order to better evaluate the various copies of etanercept. The authors discuss the need to harmonize different national regulations and the introduction of effective pharmacosurveillance systems for prompt recognition of adverse effects in copies of biopharmaceuticals that differ from those found in the reference products.
authors: Internal Medicine, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua Alvaro Alvin 224 casa 18, Curitiba, Paraná, 80440080, Brazil, valderilio@hotmail.com.
authors: Valderilio F
authors: VF
authors: Azevedo
authors: Nathalia
authors: N
authors: Galli
authors: Alais
authors: A
authors: Kleinfelder
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: D'Ippolito
authors: Paulo C M
authors: PC
authors: Urbano
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000188:drug therapy; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D059451:Biosimilar Pharmaceuticals / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D017277:Drug Approval; D055808:Drug Discovery; D000068800:Etanercept; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D025242:Spondylarthropathies / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000188:drug therapy; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D059451:Biosimilar Pharmaceuticals; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000068800:Etanercept