Biosimilar savings
Biosimilars represent one of the NHS's most powerful levers for unlocking sustainable savings and expanding patient access. The UK is among the leading countries in Europe when it comes to biosimilar uptake.
Commercial opportunities
Building on recent success, there are now opportunities to go further, faster. We have worked closely with NHS England to support the nationally prioritised framework for best-value biological medicines. This initiative targets five high-cost biologics nearing patent expiry and equips clinicians and the wider NHS to switch swiftly to biosimilars, ensuring rapid uptake and competitive pricing.
The first of these, ustekinumab, lost patent protection in 2024. Uptake has been strong, with biosimilars reaching 86% penetration within eight months. At the end of 2025, aflibercept – which costs the NHS almost £1 million per day – lost exclusivity, and significant price reductions are expected as biosimilar competition enters the market.
NHS England is aiming to deliver £1 billion in savings through increased uptake of biosimilars. Over the next five years, 44 biologics with a combined estimated NHS spend of £2 billion will lose patent protection. Applying a conservative biosimilar uptake rate of 70%, we estimate additional savings of £3.465 billion over the five years, but only if the right commercial conditions are in place.