March 21, 2024
On March 19th, ASBM presented to the World Health Organization International Nonpropretary Names (INN) Expert Group at the 78th Consultation on International Non-proprietary Names for Pharmaceutical Substances (INN), held in Geneva, Switzerland on October 18th, 2023. ASBM was represented at the session by Executive Director Michael Reilly, Esq., and Advisory Board Chair Philip Schneider, MS, […]
February 5, 2024
On January 31st, ASBM released a fact sheet describing a variety of proposed policy changes at the state and federal level which would weaken the interchangeable biosimilar standard, or circumvent the patient protections it provides. These include new bills and regulations at the federal level, as well as state legislation and proposals which threaten to […]
February 1, 2024
On January 25, the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA’s) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) released a document entitled “Concept paper for the development of a Reflection Paper on a tailored clinical approach in Biosimilar development”. The document expresses the EMA’s intent to streamline biosimilar development by re-evaluating the role of clinical safety and efficacy data; it also […]
February 1, 2024
In January, the Generics and Biosimilars Initiative (GaBI) published a whitepaper entitled “Medicare Drug Price Negotiations: Impact on Healthcare Development and Patient Access to Medicines”. The paper’s content is drawn from a webinar on the same topic hosted by ASBM and GaBI on July 26, 2023. It examines the likely negative effects of IRA’s price negotiation provisions, which allow the […]
January 6, 2024
In November, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a Proposed Rule that would permit Medicare Part D plan sponsors to substitute non-interchangeable biosimilars in place of the biologic medicines now used to treat many chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and cancer. Read ASBM’s statement on the announcement here. CMS accepted public comments on […]
December 20, 2023
On December 13, Oregon’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) met to consider – and ultimately rejected – a proposal to permit the automatic substitution of non-interchangeable biosimilars; that is, the substitution at the pharmacy level of a biosimilar without prescriber involvement. The automatic substitution of biosimilars is a controversial practice, banned in many countries including nearly […]
December 19, 2023
On November 17th, ASBM submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on draft guidance released in September by the FDA. The guidance removed the interchangeability statement from the product label/package insert of interchangeable biosimilars. Under U.S. state law, only interchangeable biosimilars may be substituted by a pharmacist without contacting the prescriber. This is due to […]
December 8, 2023
On November 30, ASBM and the Generics and Biosimilars Initiative (GaBI) hosted Interchangeable Designation for Biosimilars- Ensuring Continuity of Patient Care: Upholding Interchangeability Status for Biosimilars. The webinar was the fourth in a series covering key health policy issues. The most recent of the webinars, hosted July 29th, examined the negative impact of the Inflation Reducation Act’s Medicare […]
December 1, 2023
From November 12-14, ASBM exhibited at Booth #2612 at ACR Convergence 2023 in San Diego, CA. ACR Convergence is hosted annually by the American College of Rheumatology and is considered the premier meeting for rheumatology professionals globally. ASBM was represented at the booth by Executive Director Michael Reilly, Advisory Board Chair Philip Schneider, and Programs Director Ray […]
November 30, 2023
In November, ASBM released two fact sheets on interchangeable biosimilars. Download them here: Physician Perspectives on Interchangeable Biosimilars Interchangeable Biosimilars: Comparing Europe and the U.S.
