Biosimilars: what the oncologist should know
- As originator biologic medicines lose patent protection, biopharmaceutical companies are developing biosimilars.
- Biosimilars are similar versions of costly and complex therapies aimed at providing more affordable treatment options.
- Many biosimilars are now approved worldwide, with several more expected to be introduced soon.
- Clinicians need to become familiar with biosimilars, understanding their development and differences from originator biologics and generics.
- This review aims to equip clinicians with the necessary knowledge to understand and use biosimilars, particularly in treating oncologic diseases.
An increasingly greater proportion of life-saving therapies now include complex biologics. More and more cancer therapeutics and medications used for inflammatory diseases are counted among this growing class of agents. However, biologics can be expensive and as originator biologics begin to lose their patent protection, some biopharmaceutical companies are directing resources on developing ‘similar’ versions of these costly and complex therapies. One of the goals of developing these molecules, known as biosimilars, is to provide additional treatment alternatives. Several biosimilars are now approved worldwide for treatment of cancer and supportive care.
As more biosimilars become available, it is important that clinicians and healthcare providers (HCPs) familiarize themselves with this new category of products and understand how they are developed. Considering that cancer treatments are expected to form a major proportion of biosimilar products, and biologics are often a critical part of oncology treatments, it will be particularly important for oncologists to educate themselves in this area...
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