Biosimilars Bring Hope to Osteoporosis Patients

In Malaysia and Thailand, a new treatment option is emerging to help patients with osteoporosis. Biologic treatments have been shown to provide long-term benefits, but their high cost has limited access, especially in low-income countries. A recent analysis aimed to determine the cost impact of introducing biosimilar denosumab for osteoporosis treatment in these countries.

The study used a budget impact model to compare the cost of treating female patients aged 50 and above with osteoporosis using biosimilar versus reference denosumab. The model took into account country-specific data on prevalence, incidence, mortality, and treatment costs. The results showed that treatment with the reference denosumab would cost around MYR 864 million (USD 217 million) in Malaysia and THB 179.5 billion (USD 5.2 billion) in Thailand over 5 years.

In contrast, biosimilar denosumab was estimated to cost around MYR 648 million (USD 162 million) and THB 134.6 billion (USD 3.9 billion), resulting in potential savings of MYR 216 million (USD 54 million) and THB 44.8 billion (USD 1.3 billion), respectively. The introduction of biosimilar denosumab could lead to significant cost savings and improved access to biologic therapies for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

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