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INTERNATIONAL POLICIES ON THE APPROPRIATE USE OF BIOSIMILAR DRUGS

INTERNATIONAL POLICIES ON THE APPROPRIATE USE OF BIOSIMILAR DUGS

MARCH 2020


In 2016, the 30 top-selling biologic accounted for 24% of pharmaceutical sales in Canada. The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) identified a list of 13 biologicsa — for which biosimilars have been recently launched or are expected to be launched in the next three years — that accounted for C$3.6 billion in sales in 2016 in Canada.3 Biosimilars are regarded as cost-saving alternatives to these high-cost biologics for the treatment of various medical conditions. However, for a health care system to realize these cost savings, successful market uptake of biosimilars will depend on various factors, such as number and timing of entrants into the market, patient and health care provider’s understanding and acceptance of biosimilars versus biologics, cost of biosimilars, pricing policies, payer coverage and utilization policies, and policies around interchangeability and substitution.4 This Environmental Scan explores existing international policies around these factors to facilitate appropriate use of biosimilars that are proven to be safe and effective, and have the potential to reduce health care expenditures.

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