- Bone Health
- Immunology
- Hematology
- Respiratory
- Dermatology
- Diabetes
- Gastroenterology
- Neurology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Rare Disease
- Rheumatology
Not So Different: Anar Dossa Discusses Success and Savings With British Columbia’s Biosimilars Initiative
Anar Dossa, director of Pharmacy Services at Pacific Blue Cross, discusses the company's involvement with British Columbia's biosimilars switching program.
In 2019, British Columbia (BC) became the first Canadian province to announce and implement a biosimilars switching initiative. Soon after, 3 other provinces developed their own plans to draw on biosimilars for health care savings. BC’s initiative introduced a mandatory switching policy from reference products to a select list of biosimilars. Each phase of the initiative is given a transition period, allowing physicians time to prepare patients for biosimilars before BC PharmaCare, the public health program, officially stops covering the reference products. The province recently concluded in its third phase, officially using etanercept, infliximab, rituximab, and insulin glargine biosimilars as the primary medications to treat a number of rheumatic conditions, such as ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Pacific Blue Cross, one of the health plan providers in BC, has already seen success in aligning plan sponsors and members with the initiative, generating $27 million in savings by converting 99% of their plans. We sat down with Anar Dossa, director of Pharmacy Services at Pacific Blue Cross and leader of biosimilar transitions for the company’s benefits plan clients and members, to discuss company projections and challenges that have come with implementing the initiative.
To learn more about phase 3 of the BC Biosimilars Initiative, click here.
To learn more about recent biosimilar launches in Canada, click here or here.
To learn more about biosimilar switches in Canada, click here.
To learn more about other Canadian province’s biosimilar plans, click here.
To learn more about Pacific Blue Cross’s success with the program, click here.
Eye on Pharma: Sandoz Files Antitrust Suit; Yuflyma Interchangeability; Costco’s Ustekinumab Pick
April 22nd 2025Sandoz's antitrust suit against Amgen, the FDA’s interchangeability designation for Celltrion’s adalimumab biosimilar, and the inclusion of an ustekinumab biosimilar in Costco’s prescription program highlight growing momentum to expand biosimilar access and affordability for patients with chronic inflammatory diseases.
How AI Can Help Address Cost-Related Nonadherence to Biologic, Biosimilar Treatment
March 9th 2025Despite saving billions, biosimilars still account for only a small share of the biologics market—what's standing in the way of broader adoption and how can artificial intelligence (AI) help change that?
President Trump Signs Executive Order to Bring Down Drug Prices
April 16th 2025To help bring down sky-high drug prices, President Donald Trump signed an executive order pushing for faster biosimilar development, more transparency, and tougher rules on pharmacy benefit managers—aiming to save billions and make meds more affordable for everyone.
Will the FTC Be More PBM-Friendly Under a Second Trump Administration?
February 23rd 2025On this episode of Not So Different, we explore the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) second interim report on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) with Joe Wisniewski from Turquoise Health, discussing key issues like preferential reimbursement, drug pricing transparency, biosimilars, shifting regulations, and how a second Trump administration could reshape PBM practices.
Latest Biosimilar Deals Signal Growth Across Immunology, Oncology Markets
April 14th 2025During Q1 2025, pharmaceutical companies accelerated biosimilar expansion through strategic acquisitions and partnerships in hopes of boosting patient access to lower-cost treatments in immunology and oncology.
Experts Pressure Congress to Remove Roadblocks for Biosimilars
April 12th 2025Lawmakers and expert witnesses emphasized the potential of biosimilars to lower health care costs by overcoming barriers like pharmacy benefit manager practices, limited awareness, and regulatory delays to improve access and competition in chronic disease management during a recent congressional hearing.
