Christine Simmon, senior vice president of policy and strategic alliances for the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) and executive director of The Biosimilars Council, told The Center for Biosimilars® at the 2017 AAM Biosimilars Council Conference that upcoming product approvals in the biosimilar space are exciting prospects not only for the industry, but, most importantly, for patients.
Christine Simmon, senior vice president of policy and strategic alliances for the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) and executive director of The Biosimilars Council, told The Center for Biosimilars® at the 2017 AAM Biosimilars Council Conference that upcoming product approvals in the biosimilar space are exciting prospects not only for the industry, but most importantly, for patients.
“Certainly, the more competition we have for expensive—and wonderful—biologic medicines is the best thing for patients and for the marketplace in general. To think that we will, hopefully, soon have 7 biosimilars approved is very exciting for the industry," says Simmon.
Looking ahead to upcoming product approvals, such as the expected approval of biosimilar bevacizumab this week, Simmon said, “The oncology field is a very exciting one for biosimilars; we want to work hard with the entire cancer community to educate providers and patients about the value of biosimilars, because there still is a lot of confusion out there.”
In attempting to allay some of that confusion, Simmons says that she wants patients to feel confident in using biosimilar medications prescribed to them by their healthcare providers: “I’d like patients to know that, when the FDA approves a biosimilar, they’re approving it as a safe and effective medicine that is highly similar to the biologic, and that the difference between a biosimilar and a biologic is really no different from batch-to-batch biologics. So, I want them to know that they can have confidence in the FDA and in their medical professionals who are prescribing these biosimilars, and that they can have confidence in these products.”
While patients have not yet seen significant reductions in their out-of-pocket costs with the introduction of 3 biosimilar products in the US marketplace, Simmons sees strong potential for more biosimilar products competing for market share with biologics to increase patient access to these expensive treatments. According to Simmon, “1.2 million patients will have access to biologics and biosimilars just as a result of biosimilars entering the market. In particular, female patients, elderly patients, and low-income patients will benefit. We think there’s so much room for growth and a positive patient experience with these products.”
The road ahead for biosimilars will be a challenging one, however. As Simmons says, “We have a long way to go, but the FDA is clearly working hard, and we think it’s very encouraging that they’ve released a lot of the critical guidance.” And ultimately, “The more products the better, the more we’ll learn about the marketplace, patient acceptance, and provider support for these products. It’ll still be in flux for a while as we continue to learn.”
Budget Impact Analysis of Biosimilar Natalizumab in the US
Projected savings from biosimilar natalizumab were $452,611 over 3 years, driven by decreased drug acquisition costs and a utilization shift from reference to biosimilar natalizumab.
Biosimilars in America: Overcoming Barriers and Maximizing Impact
July 21st 2024Join us as we explore the complexities of the US biosimilars market, discussing legislative influences, payer and provider adoption factors, and strategies to overcome industry challenges with expert insights from Kyle Noonan, PharmD, MS, value & access strategy manager at Cencora.
Switching Patterns Highlight Nocebo Effect in European Patients Using Amgevita
July 23rd 2024About half of the patients in a European study who transitioned from reference adalimumab to a biosimilar version stayed on the biosimilar at the 1-year mark. However, researchers warned about a possible nocebo effect resulting in some patients switching back to the originator.
Biosimilars Oncology Roundup for June 2024—Podcast Edition
July 7th 2024On this episode of Not So Different, we review biosimilar news coming out of June, with clinical trial results from conferences and a study showcasing how to overcome economic and noneconomic barriers to oncology biosimilars.
Hesitancy in MENA Nations to Adopt WHO Biosimilar Guidelines Hinders Market Development
July 17th 2024The World Health Organization’s (WHO) new guidelines for biosimilar approvals aim to save time and money for manufacturers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), but hesitancy among nations to adopt the guidelines is stifling market development of biosimilars.