On September 23rd, in Mexico City, the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO) hosted a discussion on biosimilars at their Latin American Multi-Stakeholder Seminar.  The meeting was attended by patient and interest groups from the region as well as ASBM Executive Director, Michael Reilly, and Global Colon Cancer Association (GCCA) Co-Executive Director, Andy Spiegel.

The discussion focused on how patient groups can influence biosimilar health policy in Latin American countries, especially Mexico and Columbia, and the need for stringent global regulatory standards that ensure patient safety when it comes to these complex medicines.

ASBM Steering Committee member, GCCA, has officially joined the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO) this year. The Mexico City event served as an opportunity to build on IAPO’s interest in the biosimilars issue following the successful Workshop on Biosimilars Medicines held in Geneva earlier in the year. IAPO is a global alliance of over 200 patients’ organizations representing 50 disease areas and over 60 countries worldwide.