The FDA recently approved another biosimilar, Avtozma (tocilizumab-anoh) from Celltrion, as a third biosimilar to Actemra. As with the reference brand, Avtozma is indicated for the treatment of multiple diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), giant cell arteritis (GCA), polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA), systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) and coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Avtozma is available in both intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) formulations. Approval for Avtozma specifies infused administration for RA. The other approved indications are eligible for SC administration.
Avtozma was also approved with a Black Box Warning similar to the reference product.
Dosing of Avtozma is weight based and varies widely by disease indication and dosing schedule. Dosing strength varies widely, from as little as 12mg (juvenile) to 162mg (recommended adult dosing).
Genentech announced that the average monthly cost of Actemra administered via IV runs between $2,308 to $4,616, depending on dose a person receives. The average monthly cost of Actemra administered subcutaneously ranges from about $2,478 to $4,956 based indication and frequency.
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