New Medicine More Cost-Effective In Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Linda Lanz was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when she was 30.

"I had joint and severe muscle pain. And with two young children, I could barely get off the couch," Lanz said.

She had to give up her favorite activities.

"Paddle tennis, golf, aerobics, anything that is jarring," she explained.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in multiple joints, which leads to swelling, pain, stiffness, and usually, loss of function. You can see structural damage in the joints on x-ray.

Over the last couple decades, more treatments have become available to target this destruction, but they're expensive.

Linda takes a number of medicines for her rheumatoid arthritis, including an injection called a biologic that, out of pocket, would cost thousands of dollars a month. The drug company offers assistance, but that won't last forever.

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"They get paid by the insurance company, but my copay is $10. But once I get on a government insurance, such as Medicare, that stops," she said.

Now a new drug has come along, similar to the biologic injections, that is equally effective and safe but cheaper. They're called biosimilars.

"Cost is the driving force behind the development of these biosimilars," said West Penn Hospital's Dr. Mary Chester Wasko. "They're similar, but not chemically identical to the biologics that are currently available."

Similar, because they're made with living cells -- usually bacteria or yeast -- a process less precise than making medicine with chemical recipes. Biosimilars come about when a biologic's patent expires.

"The testing for biosimilars is not as rigorous as been for the original core biologics. The studies that have been done show comparable benefit, and a similar safety profile," Dr. Wasko said.

There are several potential risks, including infection, injection site reactions, brain and heart problems, and blood cancer. It would still cost $20,000 to $30,000 a year, but should be covered by insurance since the biosimilar drug, called Erelzi, is FDA approved, and insurance has historically covered the original, and more expensive, biologic Enbrel at $45,000 a year.

"For someone newly diagnosed, this can mean a large savings. The ideal candidate in my mind is someone who is a new start."