Lugano, Switzerland – Biosimilars create opportunities for sustainable cancer care, says the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in a position paper published in ESMO Open. The document outlines approval standards for biosimilars, how to safely introduce them into the clinic, and the potential benefits for patients and healthcare systems.
Lugano, Switzerland – Biosimilars create opportunities for sustainable cancer care, says the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) in a position paper published in ESMO Open.1 The document outlines approval standards for biosimilars, how to safely introduce them into the clinic, and the potential benefits for patients and healthcare systems.
“Biosimilars are an excellent opportunity to have good, valid drug options that improve the sustainability and affordability of cancer treatment in various countries,” said Professor Josep Tabernero, Chair of the ESMO Cancer Medicines Working Group, from the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and Institute of Oncology (VHIO), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain. “To do that we have to be sure that biosimilars follow appropriate manufacturing procedures, are clinically tested, and adhere to regulations from the European Medicines Agency (EMA).”
Optimal safety and efficacy is, critically, the shared responsibility of both the manufacturers and the regulatory bodies, states the paper. Biosimilars are medicinal products derived from living organisms that contain a similar version of the active substance as the original biologic. They differ from generics, which are chemically synthesised and are identical copies of the original drug. Unlike generics, biosimilars require clinical studies to ensure that the manufacturing process is sound and does not differ from that of the originator biologic.
Read more at European Society For Medical Oncology - ESMO
