Use of Biosimilars in Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract

Because the patents for biopharmaceutical monoclonal antibodies have or soon will expire, biosimilars are coming to the market. This will most likely lead to decreased drug costs and so easier access to these expensive agents. Extrapolation, however, of the limited available clinical data from adults with rheumatologic diseases to children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) should be done with caution and needs some considerations.Postmarketing surveillance programs for efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity should become mandatory in children with IBD using biosimilars, as for all biological drugs.