Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38402494›Full record

ArticleBioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy2024

Consensus-Based Overarching Principles and Recommendations on the Use of Biosimilars in the Treatment of Inflammatory Arthritis in the Gulf Region.

Khalid A Alnaqbi, Nasra Al Adhoubi, Sara Aldallal, Samar Al Emadi, Adeeba Al-Herz, Amin M El Shamy, Suad Hannawi, Mohammed A Omair, Sahar A Saad, Tore K Kvien

Open access · hybridAbstract readConsensus Statement
In one paragraph

Article in BioDrugs : clinical immunotherapeutics, biopharmaceuticals and gene therapy, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Comparing the pharmacokinetics of adalimumab originator and biosimilar product in patients with Inflammatory bowel disease or autoimmune disease.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2026
    Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 10 institutions in 7 countries.

Khalid A AlnaqbiRheumatology Division, Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, UAE. kalnaqbi@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5875-4663
Nasra Al AdhoubiRheumatology Unit, Royal Hospital, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7448-9019
Sara AldallalDubai Health Authority, Dubai, UAE.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7623-5402
Samar Al EmadiMedicine Department, Rheumatology Division, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7942-4831
Adeeba Al-HerzRheumatology Department, Al-Amiri Hospital, Kuwait City, Kuwait.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7059-1385
Amin M El ShamyMinistry of Health and Prevention, Dubai, UAE.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-8793-9255
Suad HannawiEmirates Health Services, Dubai, UAE.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5689-6710
Mohammed A OmairRheumatology Unit, Department of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9373-5473
Sahar A SaadKing Hamad University Hospital, Busaiteen, Kingdom of Bahrain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8992-5031
Tore K KvienCenter for Treatment of Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases (REMEDY), Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8441-3093
Abu Dhabi Health Services · AEAmiri Hospital · KWDubai Health Authority · AEHamad Medical Corporation · QAKing Hamad University Hospital · BHKing Saud University · SAMinistry of Health · AERoyal Hospital · OMUnited Arab Emirates University · AEUniversity of Oslo · NO

Funding

Sandoz Unrestricted educational grant to the Emirates Health Economics Society (non-profit organization)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThough biologic agents have significantly improved the treatment of inflammatory arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and axial spondyloarthritis), high costs, stringent regulations, strict reimbursement criteria, and existing patents have limited patient access to treatments. While being highly similar in quality, safety, and efficacy to biologic reference products, biosimilars can reduce the financial burden and prevent underutilization of medication.

objectiveThe objective of this initiative was to develop an evidence-based consensus of overarching principles and recommendations aimed at standardizing the use of biosimilars in treating inflammatory arthritis in the Gulf region.

methodsA task force of practicing rheumatologists, a clinical pharmacist, a health economist, patients, regulators, and payors from across the Gulf region developed recommendations and overarching principles based on the outputs of a systematic literature review conducted to address Patient-Intervention-Comparison-Outcome (PICO) questions specific to key challenges regarding the use of biosimilars for the treatment of inflammatory arthritis in the region. As the data before 2017 have been previously reviewed in another publication, the current review focused on data published between January 2017 and August 2022 (PROSPERO ID CRD42022364002). Consensus on each statement required a level of agreement of 70% or greater.

resultsConsensus was reached for five overarching principles and nine recommendations by the task force. The principles emphasize the importance of improving the awareness, understanding, and perception of biosimilars, as well as the need for regulated regional real-world data generation and protocols to make biosimilars a viable and affordable treatment option for all patients. The consensus recommendations advocate the need for shared treatment decisions between rheumatologists and patients when considering biosimilars. They further recommend that confirmation of a biosimilar's efficacy and safety in a single indication is sufficient for extrapolation to other diseases for which the reference product has been approved. Finally, there is a need for pharmacovigilance and national health policies governing the adoption and prescription of biosimilars in clinical practice across the region.

conclusionsThese are the first consensus recommendations for the Gulf region based on a systematic literature review and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, integrating clinical evidence with clinical expertise to optimize decision making for the use of biosimilars in patients with inflammatory arthritis. They were formulated based on predominantly international data because of the limited regional data and therefore can be generalized to serve as recommendations for healthcare professionals in other parts of the world.

Indexed as

Biosimilar PharmaceuticalsAntirheumatic AgentsArthritis, PsoriaticArthritis, RheumatoidHumansMiddle EastAntirheumatic AgentsBiosimilar Pharmaceuticals

Identifiers

PMID38402494
PMCPMC11055752
OpenAlexW4392144000

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.