Abstract
The advent of biological therapy has significantly positively influenced the prognosis and quality of life of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The administration of biologic drugs results in suppressing disease activity, affecting x-ray progression, and improving the mobility and quality of life of the patient.
The benefit of this treatment largely exceeds the possible risks associated with its administration. Biological therapy is associated with high costs that, to a certain degree, can be reduced by using biosimilar drugs, or biosimilars.
Biosimilars are similar to the original biological medications. Biologies are a product of live organisms and exhibit natural variability.
Biosimilars cannot be referred to as a generic drug for these very properties, it is impossible to precisely define their structure. Among the first registered biosimilars indicated to treat inflammatory rheumatic diseases was an agent based on infliximab, i. e.
CT-P13 that exhibited a good efficacy and safety comparable with that of the original medication. Currently, the biosimilar infliximab CT-P13 is registered for the indication of RA, AS, and psoriatic arthritis in the Czech Republic.