Biosimilar medicines have significantly increased equity of access to important biological treatments across Europe and can massively improve disease management for patients with chronic conditions and cancer. They offer more prescribing options for physicians, their patients, and alleviate financial pressure on healthcare systems in an era of rapidly growing healthcare expenditure.
Biosimilar medicines can only deliver benefits for patients and sustainability for healthcare budgets in a framework that stimulates dynamic competition among multiple manufacturers. This requires governments to plan for future biosimilar medicines competition by actively removing barriers and implementing comprehensive uptake strategies based on benefit-sharing with stakeholders. Sustainable, dynamic and competitive markets are a prerequisite for a thriving biosimilar medicines pipeline and the much-needed competition of the future.
Erin Federman, Chair of Market Access Committee of the Biosimilar medicines, commented “Over the past 10 years, we have witnessed the game-changing contribution of biosimilar medicines in terms of access to treatment in auto-immune conditions and cancer care, including driving value to national healthcare systems. Now, we need governments to adopt the right policies, to foster healthier competition and create a better uptake environment to ensure the next generation of biosimilar medicines can deliver for patients.”