At long last, Amgen announced today that its Humira biosimilar, Amjevita, is now available in the United States.
Approved by the FDA in 2016, Amjevita is the first Humira biosim to be available in the U.S. It will be available at a wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) 55% below the current Humira list price, and a list price 5% below the current Humira list price, according to Amgen. This translates to $1,557 and $3,288 per 40-milligram pen device, a two-week supply.
Humira, protected by a patent wall that took 20 years to come down, is estimated to have amassed a total revenue of $240 billion by 2024.
Amjevita does not have an interchangeability designation, but Amgen plans to conduct a switching study to obtain the interchangeability label following the drug's launch.
Amjevita is only the first of at least seven Humira biosimilars that will be entering the market this year.
