New humira commercials

Has anyone else noticed a huge increase in the tv spots for Humira for Crohns? The spots used to be for something else (rheumatoid arthritis, maybe).. in the last few days, I've seen a ton of them for Crohns.. wonder why???

As far as I am aware it is illegal to advertise prescription medication on TV in Australia.

I don't quite understand why it is advertised when it is only available on prescription. Is it so the consumer can go to the doctor and ask for it?

As a side note - it's not a bad thing mind if it is getting the word out about Crohn's and raising its awareness in the community, albeit through a drug.

Sorry for hijacking LJS!

Dusty. :redface:

I was watching a movie on FX the other day and there was a Humira commercial in every commercial break.

Yes I have noticed a huge increase in the advertisment.

In US we can go to the doctor and ask for a certain medication and 9 out of 10 times if it is a reasonable request it will be honored.

Dusty, it wasn't always that way here in the US. Our laws used to be similar in regards to advertising meds. It didn't change here until several years back and now we are flooded with adverts for all types of meds.

Yeah...

I could go to a doc and ask for this or that but I guess on reflection we don't have the same availability of drugs here, it is not an open market. By that I mean, we have the PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) which subsidises all medications on the scheme and the board of the PBS decides what goes on the list. If there are two patented medications that are essentially the same then the drug company has to sell itself as to why it should be selected and for a price they don't like. Suffice it to say the pharmaceutical companies don't like it! :lol: The carrot here is getting onto the PBS.

The patents on Remicade and Humira are expiring soon, which means other companies can make the drugs since it's a generic drug soon.

Remicade and Humira are the brand names, the name of the drugs are Inflixmab and Adalimumab, the patents on the drugs will expire.

It's likely targeted at crohn's disease because for RA there are many more choices in biologics.


That's also the reason those companies behind those drugs started vedolizumab, because infliximab and humira are a billion dollar business and the companies behind those do not want to see that billion dollar cash cow go down the drain when the patents expire.

But vedolizumab hasn't been a success, in many studies it's hardly better than a placebo.

Vedolizumab was meant to replace the cash cow, it was supposed to be safer and more effective. But it was neither, a few hospitals refused to do trials with it after a few deaths occured (it was named something else before), the formula was changed, but the new formula is apparently safer but it's really ineffective, it hardly wins against placebo.

Which is why those same companies are promoting humira again, since vedolizumab basically failed.

I think there is a slow up in the US on biosimiliars reaching the market because last I checked the US hasn't set the guidelines for how intensive testing will be for biosimilars. Also I read some where that due to the complexity of the drug it may take up to 8 years for any company to get it to production.

I read all of this awhile back though and it could've all changed since then.

I did find this on it though:

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/Developmen.../TherapeuticBiologicApplications/Biosimilars/

Hmm, in Europe pharmacies are forced to give you the cheapest generic.

So if you have 2 brands of Vitamin C, the pharmacy is forced to sell you the cheapest one, unless you specifically ask for something else.

This is to stop pharmacies from exploiting the system, since before this rule some pharmacies just didn't stock the generics and just sold you the most expensive brand, most people aren't driving a few miles more just to get it cheaper.

Mind you, I have no idea how this works for things outside the realm of a pharmacy.

I found this too and it may have been the original article I read but I'm unsure of its alignment and how that may affect credibility

http://www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/News/Generics-manufacturers-and-biosimilars

Kiny, since the patents for Humira and Remicade are almost up, do you think they will do a formula change to get new patents?

Clash said:

I did find this on it though:

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/Developmen.../TherapeuticBiologicApplications/Biosimilars/

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I guess that's why they are pushing Humira so hard. Abbott spent years and millions on research and development and testing. Then the FDA trials take years and the affordable care act is going to give another drug co. a fast track to approval if they make a biologically similar med!!??

They better make their billions quickly on any future med. I hope they are compelled to continue trying!

afidz said:

Kiny, since the patents for Humira and Remicade are almost up, do you think they will do a formula change to get new patents?

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Not sure, but I don't think so personally. They're focusing on interleukin blockers like stelara now and others.

No one really knows why Humira and Infliximab work for crohn's disease, it blocks TNF-alpha someone would say, well so does Etanercept, at the same strength, and that doesn't work for crohn's disease at all (it works for RA though).

Infliximab and Humira cause apoptosis of certain leukocytes, which I think etanercept doesn't do in the same manner, which is why it doesn't work for CD perhaps.

They still don't know exactly why a painkiller like paracetamol works.

Yes, I have been noticing the increase in commercials! There must be a significant increase in the number of dx's if the pharms are pushing the meds so much. Very sad...it would be nice to see some answers on slowing down the number of people affected.

I saw a new one today, same story though. Someone walking around looking at bath room signs, because you know, when we gotta go we walk as slowly as possible! Lol those commercials really don't depict our way of life lol

afidz said:

I saw a new one today, same story though. Someone walking around looking at bath room signs, because you know, when we gotta go we walk as slowly as possible! Lol those commercials really don't depict our way of life lol

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That's funny Afidz! I saw that commercial and thought it was stupid too

That's also the reason those companies behind those drugs started vedolizumab, because infliximab and humira are a billion dollar business and the companies behind those do not want to see that billion dollar cash cow go down the drain when the patents expire.

Click to expand...

I know that in this world we live in there's a lot of corruption and knitted networks but isn't vedolizumab patented by Millenium-Takeda in Japan whereas Remicade is Janssen/Johnson and Johnson and Humira?

Anyway, new cows are about to rise. Either they'll be Vedolizumab, Stelara, Vercirnon, tofacitinib or others. Pharmaceuticals are not about to die for bringing us a cure unfortunately. Life is ironic.

That being said, It always feel awkward when I see those adds on TV (streaming). They are not allowed in canada either. Actually, it's more the side effects and warnings combined with the typical "life is so beautiful portrait" they tend to put on with, either they sell you a contraceptive pill, and anti-depressor or else. That really weirds me out.

I've got one better! I am about to start Humira, so I got the prescription card and some reading material from my GI. They had a picture of someone laughing and eating a salad! Do they not understand what our lives are really like? lol (the answer is no)

It's illegal to do ads for prescription drugs here too.

To be quite honest, I think ads for things like Humira are completely immoral. The people who should take biologics should get it, not the people who watch some ad. Not to mention the money wasted on such commercials.

Just my two cents...

kiny said:

Hmm, in Europe pharmacies are forced to give you the cheapest generic.

So if you have 2 brands of Vitamin C, the pharmacy is forced to sell you the cheapest one, unless you specifically ask for something else.

This is to stop pharmacies from exploiting the system, since before this rule some pharmacies just didn't stock the generics and just sold you the most expensive brand, most people aren't driving a few miles more just to get it cheaper.

Mind you, I have no idea how this works for things outside the realm of a pharmacy.

Click to expand...

Depends on where you are in Europe. In Germany it is the doc who prescribes the drug and the brand, the pharmacy hands it out. The doctors are asked to use generics whereever possible, but if you have a problem with the generic you get the non generic brand.

The commercials work in the end. I started on Cimzia it was unsuccessful when I got back to the GI I asked him what about this Humira I see on TV. He asked if I wanted to try it I said sure and here we are today with me on Humira.

In the US your insurance company dictates which medications you can and can not have. Insurance is business in the US, unless you qualify for free government insurance. My insurance always allows me to have name brand items instead of generic and pharmacy's will always try that before telling you hey you have to get generic brand insurance won't cover this or that.

In the end Insurance is a major US business and advertising is part of big business.

Amry, your doc should be the one which suggests humira, not some ad aired to a random set of people. That, at least, is my view. Banning ads for prescription drugs ultimately also reduces the costs of healthcare in America, because ultimately it is the people who pay insurance fees who pay for those ads.

Gus just scoffs when he sees the ads. He thinks they give a false impression of what it's like to administer the drugs.

afidz said:

I've got one better! I am about to start Humira, so I got the prescription card and some reading material from my GI. They had a picture of someone laughing and eating a salad! Do they not understand what our lives are really like? lol (the answer is no)

Click to expand...

If Humira would allow me to eat a salad, I'd be at the GI's office first thing in the morning asking for it.

I wonder how many patients go in to a doctor requesting a med they saw on a commercial for chronic illness. I've never seen a Remicade commercial but I had seen Humira commercials before my son was placed on Remicade, I didn't feel compelled to push for Humira over my doctors recommendation of Remicade. I wonder how many do?

I've seen the increase in commercials!

I feel it is all about money for the pharmeceutical companies. I appreciate it brings more attention to the disease (now I get people asking if my son is on *that* medicine)... but at the end of the day - more commercials = more exposure = more profit for the company.

I just pray that it also equals more research!!