The International Generic and Biosimilar medicines Association (IGBA) started an informational campaign on biosimilars in February to improve worldwide understanding and acceptance of biosimilar medicines.
The IGBA effort, supported by the Biosimilars Council, provides information for a wide range of audiences and stakeholders. The presentation covers a number of topics, including:
- The Era of Biological Medicines
- The Major Social and Economic Challenges
- Rising to the Cost Challenge
- Commitment to Scientific Excellence
- Benefits of Biosimilar Medicines
- Building on the Experience and Success of Biosimilar Medicines
IGBA notes the EU has approved the highest number of biosimilar medicines worldwide, and has acquired considerable experience of their use and safety. There is real world experience available of over 700 million patient days from EU licensed biosimilar medicines alone, and “over the last 10 years, the EU monitoring system for safety concerns has not identified any difference in the nature, severity or frequency of adverse effects between biosimilars and their reference medicine.” IGBA believes that this accumulated wealth of clinical experience with biosimilar medicines can become a worldwide game-changer for access to medicines for certain complex medical conditions.