What is the product-hopping criticism of AbbVie?
As biosimilars arrived, critics say AbbVie offered Humira patients coupons for newer patent-protected Skyrizi and Rinvoq — allowing it to retain immunology revenue even as biosimilars captured Humira's share, with payers eventually bearing the higher cost once coupons expire.
As biosimilars approached, critics say AbbVie worked to move patients to newer, patent-protected drugs in the same therapeutic area, particularly Skyrizi and Rinvoq. One pharmacy-cost firm described the tactic as offering patients on Humira a coupon for Skyrizi just as biosimilars launched, and said it allowed AbbVie to preserve a substantial share of the immunology market despite ten biosimilars.
The concern is that when coupons expire, the real, higher price of the new drug becomes evident to payers. AbbVie also launched its own lower-priced unbranded adalimumab and supplied a private-label version marketed under CVS's Cordavis brand. AbbVie argues that newer drugs offer better efficacy for many patients, and that doctors and patients choose them for clinical reasons.