Biologic Drug Prices in Medicare Part B After Entry of Biosimilars to the Market

How are the prices of originator biologic drugs reimbursed under Medicare Part B associated with the entry of biosimilar drugs to the market?This cohort study (N = 7 drugs) used bayesian structural time series models to construct a synthetic control, estimating what originator drug prices would have been without biosimilar competition (the counterfactual). Compared with this counterfactual, observed prices decreased overall, with substantial reductions for pegfilgrastim and infliximab.This study suggests that biosimilar entry to the market was associated with modest price reductions, but policy changes are needed to enhance the cost-saving potential under Medicare Part B.

Corresponding Author: Aaron P Mitchell, MD, MPH, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 633 Third Ave, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10017 (mitchea2@mskcc.org).

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