Molly Burich: Industry Challenges with Biosimilars
Molly Burich, MS, associate director of public policy: biosimilars, pipeline, and reimbursement at Boehringer Ingelheim, discusses the challenges the industry faces with respect biosimilars.
Transcript:
As biosimilars become more prevalent in the United States, what is the biggest challenge that the pharmaceutical industry will face?
So, I think the biggest challenge that manufacturers face is really educating stakeholders to make sure that they understand the value of biosimilars. Physicians need to understand how they’re made, how they’re developed, and how they’re approved, as well as feel comfortable utilizing them in their patients. Patients need to see the benefit both clinically, as well as economically—the whole premise of biosimilars is around being able to bring lower-cost alternatives to market. Lastly, health plans, they need to see the benefit of pushing biosimilar use as well. All of this comes through both a combination of education and experience, and with any brand-new market, we have our work cut out for us. So, I would say the biggest challenge really revolves around ensuring a positive experience for all of our stakeholders and driving education to make sure that they’re utilized.
