According to a May 1, 2024 press release, the high-concentration (100 mg/mL), citrate-free formulation of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Cyltezo® (adalimumab-adbm) was approved by the FDA on May 1 as interchangeable with AbbVie’s Humira® (adalimumab) to treat multiple chronic inflammatory diseases. Cyltezo® was initially approved as a low-concentration biosimilar in August 2017 and as an interchangeable in October 2021. The low-concentration, citrate-free formulation of Cyltezo® has been available since July 1, 2023 at a 5-7% discount to Humira®, and a second unbranded version was launched in October 2023 at an 81% discount to Humira®. According to Boehringer Ingelheim the high-concentration Cyltezo® interchangeable will be available at the same discounts. Notably, the high-concentration adalimumab formulation accounts for about 80% of total Humira® prescriptions. This is the second FDA approval for a high-concentration interchangeable of Humira®, following Alvotech and Teva’s Simlandi® (adalimumab-ryvk), which has yet to launch in the U.S.
According to a Samsung Bioepis report, the Humira® biosimilar market share was about 4% of the total adalimumab market as of February 2024. On April 1 it was reported that CVS Caremark dropped Humira® from some of its largest formularies which resulted in the adalimumab biosimilar market share increasing to about 36% of the total adalimumab market one week following the announcement.
Humira® had U.S. sales of nearly $12.2 billion in 2023.
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The authors would like to thank April Breyer Menon for her contributions to this article.
