Getting Familiar With Biosimilars

Biosimilar insulins: a European perspective

Biosimilar insulins are likely to enter clinical practice in Europe in the near future. It is important that clinicians are familiar with and understand the concept of biosimilarity and how a biosimilar drug may differ from its reference product. The present article provides an overview of biosimilars, the European regulatory requirements for biosimilars and safety issues. It also summarizes th...

Patient Perspectives on Biosimilars: A Survey by the European Federation of Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis Associations.

BACKGROUND AND AIM The aim of this survey was to find out the patients' perspectives concerning biosimilars. METHODS An online survey consisting of 14 questions was made available between November 2014 and October 2015. Only respondents who had heard of biosimilars were asked to respond the final twelve questions. RESULTS A total of 1181 patients responded. Of these, 38% had heard of biosim...

Perspectives Biosimilars: the science of extrapolation

Since the establishment of a specific approval pathway for similar biological medicinal products, so-called “biosimilars,” several biosimilars have been licensed and become available in the European Union (EU). However, despite a stringent approval process, acceptance of biosimilars in the medical community continues to be low. This appears to be especially true for therapeutic indications, for...

Are Biosimilars Identical to the Reference Products?

Medical specialists' attitudes to prescribing biosimilars.

PURPOSE Biosimilars are a cost-effective alternative to biologics that could improve patients' access to expensive biological medicines. Currently, there are little data on doctors' perceptions of biosimilars and in what situations they are comfortable prescribing biosimilars. In this study, we investigated medical specialists' perceptions of biosimilars and the factors associated with the acce...