Cost Considerations With Intravenous and Subcutaneous Biologics

Pharmaceutical companies are making investments in research of therapies that target three different antigen-binding sites. Trispecific antibody research is still in its earliest phases and is focused on applications in cancer, inflammatory conditions and infectious diseases.

They work by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines. But in a small percentage of patients antiinflammatory biologics may stir up “paradoxical psoriasis.”

Merck and Johnson & Johnson have both acquired bispecific antibodies with applications in autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.

Driving this growth will be the approvals of novel biologics, such as gene therapy, RNA-based therapeutics, and antibody-drug conjugates.

Nine of the 10 top specialty drugs by expenditure are biologics, according to the Pharmaceutical Strategies Group report on specialty drug spending.

The number of biologics approved as treatments for psoriasis has proliferated but the FDA has approved just four for use in children. Six biologics for pediatric psoriasis are in various stages of development.