Factors associated with the uptake of biosimilars for breast cancer treatment from the perspectives of physicians and patients-Evidence from China
- In 2021, the trastuzumab biosimilar entered clinical use in the research setting with less than 20% uptake in China, significantly lower than in the EU.
- Older patients are more likely to adopt biosimilars due to price sensitivity and financial concerns.
- Only 11.3% of patients switched from reference trastuzumab to biosimilar when available, with lower switching rates observed in other countries.
- Physician reluctance to switch may stem from concerns over patient comfort and information asymmetry.
- Health insurance coverage influences biosimilar adoption, with patients under weaker benefits packages more likely to choose biosimilars.
- Older physicians are less likely to use biosimilars, while younger and female physicians, as well as chief physicians, are more likely to adopt them.
- The absence of substitution policies and incentives can hinder biosimilar uptake, as seen in Eastern Europe.
- Enhanced educational policies, clinical guidelines, and financial incentives could promote biosim.
Unlike small-molecular chemical products with well-specified structures, biological agents are macromolecular substances with complex structures and manufacturing processes and are usually highly priced . Taking cancer medicines as an example, biological agents are increasingly highly priced and have a budget impact across countries, casting a shadow over the sustainability of national healthcare systems. The need for a better balance between innovation and accessibility arises, hence biosimilars are raised as a potential solution to this dilemma. Biosimilars are similar to reference biologics in terms of quality, safety, and efficacy , they are medically equivalent to reference biologics but at a lower cost.
Promoting the clinical application of biosimilars could stimulate competition, forcing down prices of reference biologics, thus to help saving health expenses and improving the accessibility of treatment based on biological regimens Higher biosimilar uptake rate is especially significant for low- and middle-income countries, where access to high-cost biological regimens is even worse...
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