Policy

Alberta Makes It Official With Move to Biosimilars for Those on Public Drug Plans

December 13th 2019

By Allison Inserro

Alberta became the most recent Canadian provincial government to mandate a nonmedical switch to biosimilars for certain patients on taxpayer-funded drug plans.

Biosimilar Stakeholders Praise Removal of Biologic Exclusivity Provisions From USMCA

December 11th 2019

By Kelly Davio

An agreement on the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), a trade deal that updates the North American Free Trade Agreement, has been reached, and proponents of biosimilars and generics have cause to celebrate after the removal of provisions that some said would hinder competition.

Reports Say Administration May Agree to Democrats' Demands on USMCA Biologic Patent Rules

December 3rd 2019

By Allison Inserro

Trade representatives for Canada and Mexico met last week over the ratification and implementation of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), and press reports say that the Trump administration is considering acceding to Democrats’ demands to reduce patent protections for reference biologics in order to get the pact through Congress.

In Latest Drug Price Proposal, Bach Targets Drugs Like Humira That Are Late in Life Cycles

December 3rd 2019

By Kelly Davio

HR 3 proposes targeting for negotiation those drugs that consume a large share of the healthcare budget and that have limited biosimilar or generic competition. Writing in a perspective article in The New England Journal of Medicine, Peter B. Bach, MD, MAAP, a noted critic of high drug prices, proposed a different set of targets.

Why Are Prices of MS Drugs High? It's Not R&D Costs, Executives Say

December 3rd 2019

By Allison Inserro

With debate and argument over what is to blame for high drug pricing, this report sought to examine the executives’ reasoning and attitudes behind pricing decisions.

EU Report Highlights the Need for Biosimilars in Fostering Sustainable Health Systems

December 2nd 2019

By Kelly Davio

The European Commission has released a new report that highlights the role that biosimilars and generics will have in the wellbeing of European healthcare systems in the years ahead.

Many Injectable Essential Medicines Have Prices Substantially Higher Than Estimated Cost-Based Prices

November 30th 2019

By Kelly Davio

Universal access to affordable essential medicines remains an unmet goal, and while the World Health Organization has been attempting to address this problem through prequalification of drugs like insulin to help ensure access for patients in low-resource areas, costs for many products remain prohibitive.

Mandated Switching to Biosimilars Begins in British Columbia, May Spread to Other Provinces

November 27th 2019

By The Center for Biosimilars Staff

The issue of whether to switch patients currently taking biologics to biosimilars has been playing out in Canada over the past week, as mandated switching begins in British Columbia, while a reference product maker fights against a possible similar change in 2 other provinces.

Report Shows How Much Price of Adalimumab, Insulin Glargine, Varies Globally

November 25th 2019

By Allison Inserro

How much does the price of common drugs vary across the globe? A UK digital healthcare startup collected that information to display the disparities across 50 countries for 13 often-used pharmaceuticals, including adalimumab and insulin glargine.

Drug Pricing Proposals and Implications for Biosimilars

November 25th 2019

Based on the number of bills coming through Congress, it is clear that biosimilars have become synonymous with decreasing healthcare costs. Even with only a few biosimilars commercially available thus far, the federal push towards these drugs has been pronounced.