Changing to biosimilar drug Pyzchiva in UK

[CeeCeeGo]

I have just been told by my hospital that with immediate effect my Stelara is being replaced with a biosimilar called Pyzchiva. This is obviously being done for financial reasons.

Does anyone have any experience of using Pyzchiva?

 

[Delta_hippo]

I’m interested to hear your experience as I also got a letter today saying I am being switched from stelara to a biosimilar (no name provided) with immediate effect
As I have been stable on stelara for 4 years and was not remotely stable on anything before then including double dose biologics I am mightily unhappy
And Gloucestershire have said it is for financial reasons as the knock off version is cheaper
Let’s hope it is exactly the same drug

 

[CeeCeeGo]

I’m interested to hear your experience as I also got a letter today saying I am being switched from stelara to a biosimilar (no name provided) with immediate effect
As I have been stable on stelara for 4 years and was not remotely stable on anything before then including double dose biologics I am mightily unhappy
And Gloucestershire have said it is for financial reasons as the knock off version is cheaper
Let’s hope it is exactly the same drug

Hello
Like you I have been stable on Stelara since 2017.
Prior to that I was on Humira (relatively stable) and was switched then to a biosimilar which then caused me to develop antibodies and I had to stop. For a year (until Stelara was approved) I was on budesonide to try and keep me stable (not good).
I have a number to call the pharmacy team at my hospital if I want to discuss, so I am going to do that explaining my previous experience with biosimilar…let’s see what they say

 

[CeeCeeGo]

UPDATE as of 4/9/24

Spoke to the pharmacy team at my hospital today and have agreed that I will stay on Stelara at least until March 2025. Due to previous bad experiences with biosimilar and also the upcoming review of the intervals between Stelara injections, it was felt that best to stay on Stelara for next six months.
Also by then they will have some direct patient experiences of the biosimilar. This is important as it appears the UK patients are going to be some of the first worldwide that will be using these biosimilars (US and Europe starting in early 2025).

If you get a letter and it DOESN‘T offer a call with the pharmacy team or your IBD team, it’s worth doing it yourself.

Hope this info helps.