NJ Spotlight: Legislature Grapples with How to Regulate Biologics, New Class of Medication

February 12, 2015

Measure would require pharmacists to inform doctors when they use new drugs, as well as generic ‘biosimilars’ Andrew Kitchenman In recent years, many of the bestselling new medications haven’t been traditional drugs chemically synthesized in labs. Instead, they belong to a growing class of “biologics” — substances that are cultivated from living cells, often by […]

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NJ Spotlight: Legislature Grapples with How to Regulate Biologics, New Class of Medication

February 12, 2015

Measure would require pharmacists to inform doctors when they use new drugs, as well as generic ‘biosimilars’ Andrew Kitchenman In recent years, many of the bestselling new medications haven’t been traditional drugs chemically synthesized in labs. Instead, they belong to a growing class of “biologics” — substances that are cultivated from living cells, often by […]

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Washington Post: The coming revolution in much cheaper life-saving drugs

January 17, 2015

Randy Hillard was supposed to be dead by now. In 2010, the Michigan State University psychiatry professor was diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer and given less than a year to live. He started wondering how he could die in the most comfortable way possible given the circumstances, even briefly researching an assisted suicide organization […]

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Pharmacy Today: Pharmacists and health systems prepare to add biosimilars to formularies

January 14, 2015

The American Pharmacists Association publication, Pharmacy Today, featured an article on biosimilars and quoted Philip Schneider, MS, FASHP, Associate Dean at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy and ASBM  international advisory board member. In the article he said: “Even if a drug is considered similar, it should be easily identified. There’s been a longstanding principle […]

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Videos Explaining the Biologics and Biosimilars

January 13, 2015

Amgen Canada has created two new videos explaining the differences between biologics and biosimilars. The videos show why manufacturing really matters and the importance of patient safety as biosimilars are approved. Watch the videos here.

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Inside Health Policy: FDA Guidance Agenda Doesn’t List Biosimilar Naming, But Includes Labeling

January 13, 2015

The controversial issue of biosimilar naming is seemingly absent from the FDA drug center’s 2015 guidance agenda as all signs point to the agency approving the first U.S. biosimilar by early March. The guidance agenda slates four biosimilar documents the agency plans to put out this year including one on labeling, but there is no […]

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Washington Post: The cheaper cancer drug that could pave the way for much more affordable medicine

January 8, 2015

A government panel Wednesday took a major step toward approving a copycat version of a blockbuster cancer drug, paving the way for a new class of cheaper medicines that could save consumers billions of dollars. An expert Food and Drug Administration panel unanimously recommended that the government approve the drug known as EP2006, a lower-cost […]

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Advocating for Patient Safety at FDA Hearing on Biosimilars

January 7, 2015

On January 7, Andrew Spiegel, executive director of the Global Colon Cancer Association and ASBM Steering Committee member, presented before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) providing a patient perspective on why safety must be the ultimate priority when approving biosimilars. During his oral presentation before at the FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) public […]

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ASBM in FDA Week

January 6, 2015

On December 24, FDA Week quoted ASBM Executive Director, Michael Reilly, on how the upcoming January 7th FDA Meeting on Biosimilars will be an important opportunity for the FDA to hear from stakeholders. Read the full article Biosimilar Advisory Meeting May Offer Final Platform For Naming Debate here.  

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FDA Releases List of Upcoming Biosimilar Guidances for 2015

January 6, 2015

On January 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its annual Guidance Agenda detailing which new and revised Draft Guidances will be issued by its Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) for 2015. Among them are four guidances pertaining to biosimilarity. Topics covered include: what data will be allowed for demonstrating biosimilarity, […]

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