WHY should patients be involved in the biosimilars debate?
Patients need to contribute their views actively to this debate to ensure that cost effective biotechnology-derived therapies are made available to them as quickly as possible. Patients should discuss access, cost, safety and efficacy of receiving biosimilar medicines as these are now an emerging source of affordable medicines for more patients with some of the most difficult to treat diseases. Information about specific biosimilar medicines is available from a number of sources, including the EMEA, to enable patients, together with their doctor and pharmacist, to have access to the relevant data on the use of these medicines. Patients can have confidence in biosimilar medicines because they are approved by the same regulatory organisation, with the same scientific rigour, and using the same regulatory systems as the comparable originator products. Healthcare teams also need to live up to their responsibility to contribute to patients awareness of the existence of biosimilar medicines
Patients need to contribute their views actively to this debate to ensure that cost effective biotechnology-derived therapies are made available to them as quickly as possible. Patients should discuss access, cost, safety and efficacy of receiving biosimilar medicines as these are now an emerging source of affordable medicines for more patients with some of the most difficult to treat diseases. Information about specific biosimilar medicines is available from a number of sources, including the EMEA, to enable patients, together with their doctor and pharmacist, to have access to the relevant data on the use of these medicines. Patients can have confidence in biosimilar medicines because they are approved by the same regulatory organisation, with the same scientific rigour, and using the same regulatory systems as the comparable originator products. Healthcare teams also need to live up to their responsibility to contribute to patients’ awareness of the existence of biosimilar medicines
