ACCC's McBride on the Need for Biosimilar Education

The FDA has approved 28 biosimilar products, 16 of which have indications for patients with cancer. These include versions of the monoclonal antibodies trastuzumab, bevacizumab, and rituximab, as well as biosimilars for the supportive care agents pegfilgrastim, filgrastim, and epoetin-alfa.

Integrating biosimilars further into cancer care will require an educational outreach, according to Ali McBride, PharmD, MS, BCOP, clinical coordinator of Hematology and Oncology in the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Arizona Cancer Center and immediate past president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC).

In an interview with OncLive.com, he discusses the age of biosimilars, the ACCC’s initiative to broaden acceptance and use of these drugs, and the knowledge gaps that need to be filled to ensure biosimilars are properly understood.