WHAT measures are needed to ensure access to biosimilar medicines?
Strategies to increase the affordability of medicines and to make them available to more patients include promoting competition and generic medicines, including generic substitution. Biosimilar medicines need to be included in these strategies. Now that a solid legal and regulatory environment has been established, a clear market pathway for biosimilar medicines needs further consideration in each individual Member State to enable access to these medicines as soon as possible after their marketing approval. Indeed, the way countries determine which medicines are selected and used needs to be adjusted to ensure biosimilar medicines are made available. Factors include marketing authorisation approval, agreement on price and on how the biosimilar medicines are reimbursed, and gaining the acceptance of clinicians and patients to using biosimilar medicines as part of their practice and treatment. Access for patients to biosimilar medicines is not automatic; it requires that proactive steps
Strategies to increase the affordability of medicines — and to make them available to more patients — include promoting competition and generic medicines, including generic substitution. Biosimilar medicines need to be included in these strategies. Now that a solid legal and regulatory environment has been established, a clear market pathway for biosimilar medicines needs further consideration in each individual Member State to enable access to these medicines as soon as possible after their marketing approval. Indeed, the way countries determine which medicines are selected and used needs to be adjusted to ensure biosimilar medicines are made available. Factors include marketing authorisation approval, agreement on price and on how the biosimilar medicines are reimbursed, and gaining the acceptance of clinicians and patients to using biosimilar medicines as part of their practice and treatment.
