April 12, 2018
On April 11th in Washington DC, nearly 25 individuals gathered to be part of an exclusive roundtable to discuss a global approach for naming harmonization of biologic medicines. Representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Health Canada, physician and pharmacist associations, and patient advocacy organizations convened to explore the feasibility of this endeavor and […]
April 1, 2018
Philip J. Schneider, MS FASHP ASBM Advisory Board Chair This week, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed bills updating pharmacy regulations in their respective states. The new laws permit pharmacists to substitute interchangeable biosimilars in place of an originator biologic medicine when they are approved by the FDA. The signing […]
February 10, 2018
On January 18, 2018, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada (ISMP Canada) posted an online questionnaire to seek input from healthcare providers, consumers, and other interested and affected stakeholders on different approaches to the naming of biologic drugs, including biosimilars, in Canada. ASBM submitted comments on February 9th advocating the use of 4-letter suffixes, an approach favored […]
February 8, 2018
For Immediate Release Naming Tool for Biologic Medicines Released; Ensures Compliance with FDA, WHO Standards Arlington, VA (February 8, 2018) The Alliance for Safe Biologic Medicines (ASBM) announced today that it has developed a web-based tool for the naming of biologic medicines to quickly ensure compliance with naming standards set forth by the FDA […]
February 2, 2018
On January 29th, Alex Azar was sworn in as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by Vice President Mike Pence following remarks by President Trump. ASBM Executive Director Michael Reilly, who served as Mr. Azar’s Deputy from 2005-2007, was in attendance. Mr. Azar previously spent four years as the Department’s […]
February 2, 2018
On January 29th, Alex Azar was sworn in as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by Vice President Mike Pence following remarks by President Trump. ASBM Executive Director Michael Reilly, who served as Mr. Azar’s Deputy from 2005-2007, was in attendance. Mr. Azar previously spent four years as the Department’s […]
January 12, 2018
On January 11th, the FDA released its 2018 Strategic Policy Roadmap, which outlines its key priorities for 2018, including increasing access to new medicines. “We know that the cost of product development can impact how such products are priced, and can be a factor in limiting patients’ ability to get timely access to beneficial new treatments […]
January 5, 2018
On January 4th, the Roanoke Times published an op-ed by Stacie Phan, Executive Director of the Biosimilars Forum, discussing the potential cost savings of biosimilars, especially to the Medicare program: “…a recent decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to change a billing policy that jeopardized the long-term stability of the biosimilars market could also help pave the way for […]
December 25, 2017
On December 25th, the Vancouver Sun published an op-ed authored by ASBM Executive Director, Michael Reilly, regarding the topic of Non-Medical Switching of biosimilars. Non-Medical Switching is when a biosimilar is substituted by a third party in place of the biologic medicine prescribed by the physician, for reasons other than the patient’s health or safety. In the […]
December 25, 2017
On December 25th, the Vancouver Sun published an op-ed authored by ASBM Executive Director, Michael Reilly, regarding the topic of Non-Medical Switching of biosimilars. Non-Medical Switching is when a biosimilar is substituted by a third party in place of the biologic medicine prescribed by the physician, for reasons other than the patient’s health or safety. In the […]
