From June 27-July 1, 2021, ASBM virtually presented present a poster the DIA Global Annual Meeting 2021 entitled “A Review of Problems with Pharmacovigilance Programs and Biologics”. The poster is authored by ASBM Executive Director Michael Reilly and Advisory Board Chair Philip Schneider. Dr. Schneider presented the poster in a video recording available to conference attendees for the duration of the four-day event.

The poster examines a variety of published literature on global pharmacovigilance of biologic medicines, with a focus on difficulties in accurately identifying biologics at the product level in Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reports and self reporting surveys (SRS). For example, in a 2019 analysis of European ADR reports for infliximab in 2018, 35% did not provide a brand name, despite this being required by EU law since 2012.

Lack of a consistent international standard for biologic naming was identified as a barrier to biosimilar adoption in a recent WHO-sponsored 20-country study. “There is still no consensus among countries on the naming and labeling of biosimilars,” its authors observed, “and the WHO does not provide specific nomenclature for biosimilars.”

In 2014 the WHO’s INN Expert Group proposed a voluntary naming standard to promote accurate biologic identification. But despite early support for the standard from many countries including the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan, it has not yet been made available to national regulatory authorities.

DIA 2021 ran from June 27-July 1, 2021. EPosters were featured in an online gallery within the virtual meeting platform that is hosting DIA 2021.

View the poster presentation here.

Learn more about DIA 2021 and see the draft Program Agenda here.