Looking Forward
As the white paper concludes, “Communication between providers, pharmacists and patients will be critical to alleviate anxiety and reduce skepticism regarding the use of these newly available agents. We remain optimistic that the use of biosimilars will improve patient access to biologic agents, allowing continued delivery of high-quality healthcare to be realized at a lower cost to the individual patient.”
Rheumatology leaders hope to see some of the concerns and principals outlined in the position statement addressed by the FDA and regulatory agencies moving forward.
With the release of the position statement, Dr. Daikh adds, “As the FDA moves to bring additional biosimilar therapies to market, we will continue to push for policies that will give providers the data they need to be confident that biosimilars are safe, effective options for them to use when deemed clinically appropriate.”
Keri Losavio is the staff editor of The Rheumatologist, ACR@Work and eNewsRheum.
Reference
- Bridges SL Jr., White DW, Worthing AB, et al. The science behind biosimilars: Entering a new era of biologic therapy. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2018 Mar;70(3):334–344.
