If you follow biosimilar headlines, you might think the market is in crisis. Stories highlight nine adalimumab biosimilars launching in just one year, and a similar pattern with the ustekinumab market, hinting at pricing wars and unsustainable margins. A recent HHS analysis confirmed what experts suspected: Most biosimilar markets become economically unviable after five competitors. To be clear, these high-competition markets serve a critical purpose – they drive down costs for the highest-burden disease areas and deliver immediate savings to patients and provide value to the U.S. healthcare system. But they can’t be the only game plan.
The headlines miss the point. This market isn’t in chaos, it’s simply finding its purpose — and what’s emerging is something that could serve patients far better.
From chasing blockbusters to targeting diversification
The first generation of biosimilar manufacturers made a logical bet: Develop biosimilars for the highest-revenue biologics. That approach created overcrowded markets where price became the only differentiator, margins evaporated, and the resulting economics made sustained investment impossible.
Most likely, the next billion-dollar biosimilar won’t come from a top 10 blockbuster. The companies finding the most success today are taking a different approach by building diversified portfolios across multiple therapeutic areas and molecular targets. This isn’t just risk mitigation; it’s a fundamentally different development philosophy that aligns more closely with what patients need. One company might develop biosimilars for rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and oncology supportive care. Another might focus on dermatology, hematology, and ophthalmology.
The result is broader patient access across the full spectrum of biologic therapies, not just the ones that generate the most revenue. This matters even more as patent expirations create new opportunities across therapeutic areas that have been overlooked.
Serving patients better
When 10 competitors develop the same molecule, patients don’t gain 10 times more access. They gain marginal pricing benefits in an already competitive market, while therapeutic areas with fewer competitors (but equally high patient need) remain underserved.
Portfolio breadth allows manufacturers to support healthcare providers across multiple products, building the infrastructure and relationships that ease administrative burden and ensure a consistent supply of medicines for patients.
Better outcomes for all stakeholders
Payers and healthcare systems benefit from partners who can provide biosimilar options across the therapeutic areas they need, not just the most crowded ones.
The market isn’t failing. It’s evolving toward something more strategic, more sustainable, and ultimately, more aligned with serving diverse patient needs. Those who recognize this shift and build their portfolios accordingly won’t just survive the current market. They’ll define what biosimilar access looks like for the next generation of patients.
Photo: Dmitrii_Guzhanin, Getty Images
As President of Accord North America, Chrys Kokino brings over 35 years of experience in commercializing biosimilars, specialty products, and complex molecules across global markets, including the U.S., EU, Asia, and MENA. As an early pioneer in the regulated biosimilar market, he was on the ground floor when biosimilars first launched and has the distinction of launching some of the world’s first biosimilars while at Sandoz and Mylan. In his current role, Chrys is focused on expanding access to biosimilars across high-need therapeutic areas – including oncology and immunology – where cost-effective treatment options remain limited despite significant patient populations impacted by chronic disease. With 7 FDA-approved therapies and a pipeline built for scale, Accord is driving toward an ambitious goal: 20 biosimilars to market by 2030 and a position as the leading biosimilar provider in the U.S.
This post appears through the MedCity Influencers program. Anyone can publish their perspective on business and innovation in healthcare on MedCity News through MedCity Influencers. Click here to find out how.
