Since the first biosimilar was approved in the U.S. in 2015, these life savings therapies have provided nearly $13 billion in savings to patients and the health care system. In addition to bringing down the price of expensive biologic therapies, biosimilars have increased access to care, with biosimilars used in over 121 million days of patient therapy and nearly 10 million days of patient therapy that would otherwise not have been provided.
Despite this progress, barriers to patient access to biosimilars persist. For example, some brand companies use misinformation and disparagement campaigns to sow doubt about biosimilars among both physicians and their patients. To combat these efforts, the Biosimilars Patient Resource Center provides information, like Frequently Asked Questions and helpful links to resources from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other groups.
This website also provides a place for medical professionals and patients to share their stories. For example, Dr. Sameer Awsare, Associate Executive Director, The Permanente Medical Group gave his perspective on biosimilars’ safety and efficacy,
“…it is absolutely safe for a patient to switch from a biologic to a biosimilar because their qualities are similar. They actually work for the same kind of condition and their purity is the same and they’ve actually been tested for the same kinds of conditions. We have studies from all over they world and we find that patients have the same kind of benefits whether they are on the original biologic or the biosimilar.”
Showcasing trusted medical professionals’ experience is an effective way to combat misinformation and provide a relatable explanation about biosimilars in a way that the underlying data points and study results cannot. We encourage health care professions to visit the Patient Resource Center and share your story to create awareness about the positive impact biosimilars have on patients.
We also have additional resources on biosimilars and information about how you can join the biosimilars movement and advocate for greater access on our advocacy page.
