SPECIAL REPORT: Johnson & Johnson’s Remicade

Anticompetitive Practices in the Pharmaceutical Biologics Market

Get an inside view of the biologics market, where rebate schemes appear to drive market share. You’ll learn how a complex system supports sluggish biosimilar uptake and other types of anticompetitive conduct. 

Introduction

The FTC has been investigating blockbuster biologic autoimmune disorder treatment Remicade (infliximab) since June 2019. Remicade is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor first approved in 1998 and marketed by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen. The drug is currently indicated to treat several inflammatory conditions, from Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis to rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis and plaque psoriasis.

The Capitol Forum reported in April 2023 that the FTC has revived its investigation into Remicade, according to sources familiar with the matter. The probe focuses on J&J’s potentially anticompetitive contracting practices, the company said in a 2019 SEC filing.

J&J has faced allegations of using contracts with insurers and providers to foreclose competition from biosimilars. There are currently three Remicade biosimilars on the market: Pfizer’s Inflectra (infliximab-dyyb), approved in 2016; Merck and Samsung Bioepis’ Renflexis (infliximab-abda), approved in 2017; and Amgen’s Avsola (infliximabaxxq), approved in 2019. J&J also makes an unbranded version of the drug.

Our reporting exposed a broken system in which rebate schemes appear to drive market share for Remicade and its biosimilar competitors.

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