If you’ve been taking Humira for your IBD, you’ve probably watched the news about patent expirations and biosimilars with a mix of hope and anxiety. Will there be more affordable options? What about newer treatments that might work even better? The story of what happened to AbbVie after losing Humira’s exclusivity offers some genuinely encouraging answers for our community.

Sometimes the best innovations come from necessity. When pharmaceutical companies face losing their biggest revenue source, they’re forced to dig deeper, innovate harder, and develop treatments that truly advance patient care—not just maintain the status quo.

Summary of read the original article here

When Humira lost its U.S. patent protection, AbbVie faced what many saw as a potential crisis. The drug that had been topping global sales charts for years suddenly saw its revenues drop by more than half as biosimilar competitors entered the market. In the first quarter of 2025, Humira sales fell to just over a billion dollars—roughly half of previous levels.

However, instead of declining, AbbVie doubled down on developing next-generation treatments. Their newer immunology drugs, Skyrizi and Rinvoq, have shown remarkable growth. Skyrizi’s sales increased by over 60% in just one year, while Rinvoq grew by more than 40%. Together, these two medications are projected to generate nearly $25 billion in 2025, potentially surpassing Humira’s peak performance.

Beyond immunology, AbbVie has also strengthened its neuroscience and oncology divisions, creating a more diversified portfolio that doesn’t rely on a single blockbuster drug.

This post summarizes reporting from read the original article here. Our analysis represents IBD Movement’s perspective and is intended to help patients understand how this news may affect them. Read the original article for complete details.

What This Means for the IBD Community

This pharmaceutical transformation carries profound implications for those of us living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Let’s break down what these developments actually mean for your day-to-day management and future treatment options.

More Treatment Options on the Horizon

The success of Skyrizi and Rinvoq signals something crucial: the era of having limited IBD treatment options is ending. Skyrizi, already approved for Crohn’s disease, represents a new class of IL-23 inhibitors that target inflammation differently than traditional anti-TNF drugs like Humira. For patients who haven’t responded well to anti-TNF therapy—and that’s about 30-40% of us—this offers a genuinely different mechanism of action.

Rinvoq, a JAK inhibitor, works on yet another inflammatory pathway. Having these diverse mechanisms available means your gastroenterologist has more tools in their toolkit when your current treatment isn’t delivering the remission you need. This isn’t just academic—it’s about having real alternatives when your current medication stops working or causes intolerable side effects.

The Biosimilar Benefit

While AbbVie focuses on newer drugs, the availability of Humira biosimilars creates a win-win situation. For patients who respond well to anti-TNF therapy, biosimilars like Amjevita, Cyltezo, and others can provide the same therapeutic benefit at potentially lower costs. Insurance companies are increasingly favoring these options, which could mean lower copays and easier prior authorization processes.

This competition also puts pressure on manufacturers to justify premium pricing. When patients and insurers have alternatives, companies must demonstrate clear advantages for their higher-priced options—whether that’s improved efficacy, better side effect profiles, or more convenient dosing schedules.

Innovation Under Pressure

AbbVie’s response to patent expiration illustrates an important dynamic in pharmaceutical development. When companies can’t rely on extending old patents or making minor modifications to existing drugs, they’re forced to pursue genuinely innovative approaches. This pressure has historically led to some of our most significant treatment advances.

The rapid growth of Skyrizi and Rinvoq wasn’t accidental—it reflects years of research into new inflammatory pathways and patient-reported needs. Skyrizi offers less frequent dosing for many patients (every 8 weeks after initial doses), while Rinvoq provides an oral option for those who prefer pills to injections.

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor

This evolving landscape raises several important questions you might want to explore with your healthcare team:

• If you’re currently stable on Humira, would switching to a biosimilar make financial sense without compromising your health?
• If you’re experiencing partial response or side effects with your current anti-TNF therapy, could Skyrizi or Rinvoq offer better outcomes?
• How do the side effect profiles of these newer medications compare to your current treatment?
• What does your insurance coverage look like for these different options?
• If you’re planning pregnancy or have concerns about long-term immunosuppression, how do these newer options compare?

Looking at Long-term Trends

The success of AbbVie’s newer drugs reflects broader trends in IBD treatment that should give us hope. Researchers are increasingly focusing on precision medicine approaches—matching specific patients to specific treatments based on genetic markers, disease patterns, and inflammatory profiles. The diversity of mechanisms now available (anti-TNF, IL-23 inhibitors, JAK inhibitors, integrin inhibitors, and others in development) suggests we’re moving toward more personalized treatment algorithms.

Additionally, the competition between biosimilars and next-generation drugs is driving improvements in patient support programs, injection devices, and dosing convenience. Companies can’t just compete on efficacy—they need to consider the entire patient experience.

The Broader Picture

What AbbVie accomplished also signals something important about the pharmaceutical industry’s commitment to IBD research. Despite Humira’s massive success, the company continued investing heavily in next-generation treatments. This suggests that IBD remains a priority area for innovation, with companies recognizing that our community needs and deserves better options.

The financial success of Skyrizi and Rinvoq will likely encourage other pharmaceutical companies to increase their own IBD research investments. When newer treatments can not only replace but exceed the revenue of established blockbusters, it creates a powerful incentive for continued innovation.

For those of us managing IBD daily, this competitive landscape means we’re entering an era with more choices, potentially better outcomes, and increased leverage in treatment discussions. While navigating these options can feel overwhelming, having choices is fundamentally better than the alternative.

The Bottom Line

AbbVie’s successful transition from Humira dependence to next-generation leadership offers a encouraging glimpse into the future of IBD treatment. Rather than just managing our condition, we’re moving toward an era where achieving deep remission with treatments tailored to our specific needs becomes increasingly possible. The competition between biosimilars and innovative new drugs creates downward pressure on costs while driving upward pressure on quality and convenience.

While change in treatment landscapes can feel unsettling, this particular transformation appears to be working in our favor. More options, better science, and increased competition typically translate to improved outcomes for patients. The key is staying informed, maintaining open communication with your healthcare team, and remembering that each of these developments represents researchers and companies working toward the same goal we all share—better, healthier lives with IBD.

IBD Movement provides information for educational purposes only. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.