Anton Franken, MD, PhD, endocrinologist, discusses how to communicate with patients who are going to be switched to biosimilar insulin.
Transcript
How do you address patient concerns about switching to biosimilar insulin?
The biosimilar insulin is equally effective and safe. As are the other insulins. For instance, if you used in the past insulin from company A, and you were switched to B because of other things, no one complained about it. Now we have the biosimilar and everyone says "switching for insulin?" It’s not necessary to be worried about it. It's the same. You have no immunogenicity, not with insulin. Insulin is a safe drug.
It's not the insulin, it’s also the device that plays a role. Each insulin company has its own device. So some people are reluctant to switch, because then they have to use another pen, another device. That’s why it’s important that the diabetic nurse educates the patient about the switch, and that the doctor has enough time to explain why he’s switching [the patient's drug].
For the patient, it’s difficult, because price is for her or him less important,* because as a patient, in diabetes, you are chronically ill. You use one drug for many years, so if you are satisfied with one insulin and one pen, why should you switch?
“What’s in it for me,” the patient asks, and that’s difficult to answer. It’s not only the price, but maybe through innovation we develop better devices, and we assure the patient that no shortage will appear when they have the biosimilar.
*In the Netherlands, patients are subject to much lower out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, including insulin, than in the United States.
Q&A With Dr Chelsee Jensen: Navigating FDA Approvals, Challenges in the Biosimilar Landscape
January 14th 2024Chelsee Jensen, PharmD, BCPS, senior pharmacy specialist and pharmaceutical formulary manager at Mayo Clinic, reacts to the biggest FDA approvals of 2023 and how she sees the adalimumab, natalizumab, and tocilizumab spaces playing out.
Decoding the Patent Puzzle: Navigating the Legal Landscape of Biosimilars
March 17th 2024On this episode of Not So Different, Ha Kung Wong, JD, an intellectual patent attorney and partner at Venable LLP, details the confusing landscape that is the US patent system and how it can be improved to help companies overcome barriers to biosimilar competition.
IGBA 2023: Dr Monique Mansoura Highlights the Intersection of Geopolitical Issues, Biopharma
February 19th 2023COVID-19 allowed governments to critically examine the biopharma space to increase access to vaccines, but there's still a way to go, according to Monique Mansoura, PhD, MBA, executive director of global health security and biotechnology at the MITRE Corporation, at the International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association’s annual meeting.
Exploring the Biosimilar Horizon: Julie Reed's Predictions for 2024
February 18th 2024On this episode of Not So Different, Julie Reed, executive director of the Biosimilars Forum, returns to discuss her predictions for the biosimilar industry for 2024 and beyond as well as the impact that the Forum's 4 new members will have on the organization's mission.