Analysis-Launch of arthritis drug biosimilars ramps up US pressure on pricing 'middlemen'

FILE PHOTO: Test tubes are seen in front of a displayed Abbvie logo in this illustration taken, May 21, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(Reuters) - Cheaper versions of one of the most costly and widely used arthritis treatments in the U.S. are likely to fuel further scrutiny of the middlemen that negotiate drug prices for most insured Americans from lawmakers and the federal government, according to healthcare experts.

Seven drugmakers this month launched their own versions, known as biosimilars, of AbbVie's flagship arthritis drug Humira, once the world's top-selling prescription medicine. Three have kept their list price within 5%-7% of AbbVie's, two priced at an 85% discount and two have offered both types of prices.