The drug industry has plenty of tools to fend off the new, cheaper competitors called biosimilars — from lawsuits that prevent them from launching to deals that limit their profits after they launch.

Why it matters: The drug market is increasingly composed of biologics, which are pricier than traditional small-molecule drugs. At the same time, biosimilars — which are comparable to generic biologics — are struggling to break through.

Driving the news: UnitedHealthcare, one of the country's largest insurers, will soon disadvantage Udenyca — a biosimilar manufactured by Coherus to compete against Amgen's Neulasta. That's because Amgen offered United a bigger rebate then Coherus.

But this is just one example of how the drug industry finds ways to keep biosimilars off the market.

Pfizer is suing Johnson & Johnson over similar practices. It says J&J has created exclusionary deals with insurers, using rebates as leverage to win preferred coverage of J&J's Remicade over Pfizer's biosimilar version.

“To date Pfizer has failed to demonstrate sufficient value to patients, providers, payers and employers,” J&J told Reuters.

Lawsuits filed by biologics manufacturers also create a hurdle for biosimilars — well before they're in any position to negotiate with insurers.

Eleven biosimilars have been approved by the FDA but haven't launched, at least partially due to patent lawsuits, according to the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association.

What they're saying: J&J's "strategy could serve as a blueprint for every brand name biologic drug maker seeking to maintain monopoly power and profits indefinitely in the face of competition from a lower-priced biosimilar," the Biosimilars Council wrote in a court filing in support of Pfizer.