July 12, 2021
On June 29th, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed his state’s HHS Omnibus budget for 2022-2023. The legislature had considered but ultimately rejected language aimed at boosting uptake of biosimilars – provisions which many patient groups believed might inadvertently increase out-of-pocket costs. Since April, ASBM and other organizations including the Lupus and Allied Diseases Association (LADA, […]
June 12, 2021
ASBM, in conjunction with the Long Island University College of Pharmacy (LIU-Pharmacy), is now offering a comprehensive continuing education course on biosimilars entitled “Biosimilars: What Pharmacists Need to Know”. The course is accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE), meaning course credit is available to pharmacists nationwide. The first entry in the series is […]
June 6, 2021
ASBM Launches Online Biosimilars Course for Pharmacists ASBM, in conjunction with the Long Island University College of Pharmacy (LIU-Pharmacy), is now offering a comprehensive continuing education course on biosimilars entitled “Biosimilars: What Pharmacists Need to Know”. The course is accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE), meaning course credit is available to […]
May 20, 2021
On May 18th, Quebec announced its intention to become the fourth province to require patients to switch to biosimilars. British Columbia and Alberta have already implemented similar policies, and in April, New Brunswick announced it will follow them. Starting April 12, 2022, Quebec will cover, “with exceptions,” only the biosimilar version of drugs. “Despite the inclusion of several […]
May 18, 2021
On April 23rd, President Biden signed into law S. 164, the “Advancing Education on Biosimilars Act of 2021,” which authorizes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to educate consumers and health care providers on biologic products, including biosimilars. In March, the US Senate unanimously passed the bill, which directs the FDA to improve education on biosimilars with […]
May 18, 2021
On April 22nd, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed SB 4, making Oklahoma the 50th and final state to enact a law permitting biosimilar substitution. SB 4, like similar legislation in other states, permits interchangeable biosimilars to be substituted at the pharmacy level once approved by the FDA. Patients and physicians must be informed of a […]
March 10, 2021
From March 29-April 1st, ASBM will be participating in the Festival of Biologics USA, part of the World Biosimilar Congress USA 2021. The event is typically held in San Diego, CA but will be held virtually this year due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the event, ASBM Steering Committee Member Andrew Spiegel […]
March 10, 2021
Forced Switching: Patient and Physician Concerns As of July 2022, four Canadian provinces, British Columbia, Alberta, New Brunswick, and Quebec have implemented or partially implemented forced biosimilar non-medical switching policies. The controversial policies drew strong objections from many in the GI patient and physician community. Read about the biosimilar substitution policies of each Province and Territory here. In […]
January 29, 2021
On January 28, the Susan G. Komen Foundation released an episode of their podcast “Real Pink” entitled “The Evolution of Biosimilars as a Cancer Treatment” featuring Andrew Spiegel. Mr. Spiegel is Executive Director of the Global Colon Cancer Association and a founding member of ASBM. In the podcast, Spiegel explains how biologic medicines have extended the life expectancy […]
January 19, 2021
On January 19th, ASBM submitted comments on Draft Guidance issued November 19, 2020 by the FDA entitled “Biosimilarity and Interchangeability: Additional Draft Q&As on Biosimilar Development and the BPCI Act” The document offers insights into how FDA will handle certain aspects of submissions and labeling for interchangeable biosimilars. These include how an applicant may seek FDA review for […]
