Biosimilars Bulletin | January 2021

News and Updates

Cancer Costs and Options for Care in the United States

On World Cancer Day, AAM and the Biosimilars Council pause to recognize the toll cancer takes on our nation. Generic and biosimilar medications that treat cancer are improving the lives of patients and easing the financial burden on patients and their families.

AAM CEO Urges President-Elect Biden to Act on Access

Laying out the 2021 outlook for U.S. generics and biosimilars, AAM President and CEO Dan Leonard has urged President-elect Joe Biden and lawmakers in Congress to act to maximize savings and access to medicines.

Prescription Drug Policy: The Year in Review and the Year Ahead

COVID-19 has emphasized and exacerbated many of the deficiencies in the United States health care system—but it has also created new opportunities for prescription drug policy reform, which are likely to receive greater attention as the pandemic begins to wane in 2021.

Economists Probe Cost-Effectiveness of Biosimilars

Biosimilar competition in the drug marketplace contributes to lower costs of health care. Further, the authors of this new study conclude competition from biosimilars provides pharmaceutical companies with the initiative to develop new biologics that raise the quality and efficacy of care.

Biosimilars in Cancer Care: Insights From 2020 and Expectations for 2021

Cancer is one of the most expensive diseases to treat and manage. Nearly 20% of patients with cancer spend up to $20,000 each year in total out-of-pocket costs. Fortunately, biosimilars have the potential to increase accessibility and support positive outcomes for more individuals diagnosed with cancer. These treatments—which are highly similar versions of approved biologics—have demonstrated their capacity to create cost savings for patients, providers and the health care industry.

Featured Resources

Patent Abuse Blocks Patient Access to Biosimilars

Patients, taxpayers and the overall health care system are bearing the costs of patent schemes and delayed access to biosimilars. Delayed entry of biosimilars due to patenting has cost the U.S. health care system an astounding $7.6 billion in lost savings since 2015.

2020 Generic Drug & Biosimilars Access & Savings in the U.S. Report

The Generic Drug Access & Savings in the U.S. report released by AAM shares insight into the impact of biosimilars and generics and provides a critical look at how brands’ anti-competitive practices can negatively affect patients.

Upcoming Events

GRx+Biosims 2021 | November 8-10, 2021

Save the date, registration opening soon. GRx+Biosims 2021 is the premier scientific and regulatory event for the U.S. generics and biosimilars industry, featuring timely programming relevant to technical, regulatory, policy and legal professionals. Learn more and subscribe for email updates.

GRx+Biosims 2020 Virtual Conference

The virtual conference is over, but you can still purchase key sessions on-demand from the GRx+Biosims conference. Purchase On-Demand.

About the Biosimilars Council

The Biosimilars Council, a division of the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM), works to ensure a positive environment for patient access to biosimilar medicines. The Biosimilars Council is a leading source for information about the safety and efficacy of more affordable alternatives to costly brand biologic medicines. Areas of focus include public and health expert education, strategic partnerships, government affairs, legal affairs and regulatory policy. More information is available on our about page.

About AAM

AAM is driven by the belief that access to safe, quality, effective medicine has a tremendous impact on a person’s life and the world around them. Generic and biosimilar medicines improve people’s lives, improving society and the economy in turn. AAM represents the manufacturers and distributors of finished generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars, manufacturers and distributors of bulk pharmaceutical chemicals, and suppliers of other goods and services to the generic industry. Generic pharmaceuticals are 90 percent of prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. but only 23 percent of total drug spending. Additional information is available at www.accessiblemeds.org.