Interchangeability – Safe Biologics

For a biosimilar to be approved as an interchangeable biosimilar, it must produce the same effects in a patient when substituted for the originator product without any additional risks. If a biosimilar receives an interchangeability designation, it can be substituted at the pharmacy without the intervention of the prescribing physician. The specific data requirements to receive regulatory approval for interchangeability are still being determined.

Latest News

April 2024 Newsletter

ASBM’s Michael Reilly: Preserve the US Interchangeable Standard that Has Helped Drive Physician and Patient Confidence in Biosimilars In an April interview with EndpointsNews, an FDA official called on Congress to eliminate the distinction between biosimilars (which can be prescribed in place of their reference products by a physician) and “interchangeable” biosimilars, which can be substituted by pharmacists the […]

March 2024 Newsletter

Biden Administration HHS Budget Would Permit Third-Party Substitution of All Biosimilars On March 11th, the Biden Administration released its FY25 HHS Budget. In response, ASBM Executive Director Michael Reilly published a blog post sharing his concerns with the Administration’s proposal to permit widespread automatic (pharmacy-level) substitution of all biosimilars in place of their reference products; without physician approval […]

ASBM’s Michael Reilly: Preserve the US Interchangeable Standard that Has Helped Drive Physician and Patient Confidence in Biosimilars

In an April interview with EndpointsNews, an FDA official called on Congress to eliminate the distinction between biosimilars (which can be prescribed in place of their reference products by a physician) and “interchangeable” biosimilars, which can be substituted by pharmacists the way generics are. Doing so would undermine physician confidence in biosimilars and jeopardize treatment stability for many […]