Australia is promoting Brenzys

Merck, Sharp & Dohme’s Brenzys (etanercept) has become the first biosimilar to benefit from specific uptake drivers through Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Under the terms of a 2017-2018 budget agreement with industry and pharmacists, doctors are now encouraged to prescribe the Brenzys biosimilar rather than Pfizer’s Enbrel reference brand for treatment-naïve patients, while Australia’s Department of Health has streamlined the priorauthorisation process for Brenzys but not for Enbrel.