meds......

[alibonura]

hi, been a long time since i was on here.

i have been on Enbrel for 4 years now and have no side affects, sometimes get a flare but hardly ever, i have just recieved a letter from my Biologics team and they want to take me off Enbrel and put me on Benepali........

I have an appointment on Monday to discuss this with my nurse, just wondering if anyone else has been put on this ??? I was also diagnosed with Crohns disease last December and wonder if this is why im being changed ??

[Beverley-NRAS]

Hi alibonura,

Benepali is the biosimilar version of Enbrel. The original biologics are coming off patent and so other drug manufacturing companies are producing copies. Because of the complicated nature of these drugs, they are not exact copies but have the same physiological effect as the originals.. Because of this they are known as biosimilars. Many people are being transferred to the biosimilar version of their original biologics because they are cheaper. I have put a link to our information on biosimilars for you:

nras.org.uk/biosimilars

Hope this helps alibonura

Regards

Beverley (NRAS Helpline)

[alibonura in reply to Beverley-NRAS]

thanks very much will have a look x

[Hidden in reply to Beverley-NRAS]

Hey Beverly - is biosimilar like a generic here in the US?

[Beverley-NRAS in reply to Hidden]

Hi Caeryl,

it is not quite so straightforward. A generic is the name of the actual drug so for example:

etanercept is a generic name.

Most drugs made by a pharmaceutical company will be sold under a brand name for that company so here in the UK Pfizer sell etanercept under their brand name for it which is Enbrel.

These biologic drugs have now come off patent and so other drug manufacturers are selling copies of the generic drug under their brand name. So the generic drug etanercept being made by Samsung Bioepis is sold under their brand name of Benepali.

Because of the complicated way in which these drugs are made, Benepali is not an exact copy of Pfizers etanercept (they were the first ones to make it) so it is referred to as a biosimilar. For all intensive purposes it provides the same results as Enbrel. In the UK a biosimilar has to be marketed under its brand name.

It is complicated, isn't it

Beverley

[Hidden in reply to Beverley-NRAS]

It is complicated, but honestly, you did a wonderful job of explaining it... Thanks so much!

[Mandalou]

Hi Alibonura

Glad you have been doing well on Enbrel, I've been on it too since the beginning of 2016 and am hopefully nearing remission.

I've been told to expect my next delivery of injections to be Benepali.

My Rheumy nurse said the way she has been told to describe it is like Nurofen being a brand name for Ibruprofen.

Hopefully the Etanercept in Benepali will have just the same benefits for us as Enbrel.

I have 7 weeks worth of Enbrel to use up but then will be on Benepali like you.

Apparently the actual pen is even easier to administer than Enbrel so I've been reliably informed.

It will come with an information pack and a call from a Nurse to iron out any problems.

Good luck with yours going forward.

All the best.

Mx