D’Amico (S.Raffaele): “We treat many more patients with biosimilar drugs”

“Thanks to biosimilar drugs we are able to treat the largest number of patients with chronic and inflammatory diseases, the percentage of which has increased significantly in the last 20 years. They are safe and effective, like the originator drugs, and represent a cure for chronic diseases. However, they are still poorly understood. For this reason, the important thing a doctor should do is talk to the patient and inform him about this therapeutic opportunity. “Thus Ferdinando D’Amico, gastroenterologist at the Center for Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Ibd Unit of San Raffaele in Milan, during his speech at the webinar “Biosimilar, an opportunity to expand access to care”, an event promoted by Sandoz and broadcast live on the Adnkronos web channels. At the meeting moderated by Federico Luperi, Director of Innovation and New Media and responsible Digital of Adnkronos, with Antonella Celano, president of Apmarr, National Association of people with rheumatological and rare diseases; Claudio Jommi, Professor of Practice of Health Policy at SDA Bocconi, and Paolo Fedeli, Country Medical Director Sandoz. some data from the survey “Biological and biosimilar drugs” by Emg Different carried out between 12 and 16 November 2021 on a sample of 800 interviews, representative of the Italian adult population. 88% of the interviewees – according to the survey – have never heard of biosimilars, only 6% know them spontaneously. And again: for 92% the biosimilar is less expensive than the reference drug, while for 83% it has the same characteristics and efficacy as the reference biological. Only 60% are aware that the biosimilar is a drug that is not the same, but similar to the reference biologic. Regarding the prescription of the biosimilar by the specialist, the survey shows that 37% confirm the need for more information to understand how to use it. “I deal with chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases – affirms D’Amico – therefore with patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The introduction of biologics has literally revolutionized the management of these patients. Suffice it to say that until their introduction, in the early 2000s, most of them underwent surgery. Not only that, we doctors had few drugs available, such as cortisones and mesalazine, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory “. With the arrival of biologics” we finally had more therapeutic options – again D’Amico – weapons thanks to which we the number of hospitalizations and the number of patients undergoing surgery were significantly reduced. Only problem, these drugs were very expensive. Consequently they were accessible by a small number of patients and only a few third-level hospitals, or large hospitals, had the possibility of accessing this type of resources “. Starting from 2013-2015” we obtained the approval of the first biosimilar for the treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases – recalls the gastroenterologist -. Once the patent of the originating drugs expired, several companies were able to produce the same molecules allowing a reduction in costs. This allowed hospitals to purchase the new drugs that allow to treat a large number of patients. But it is trivial to talk about biosimilars only in terms of costs even if, unfortunately, we also have to deal with everything related to healthcare costs “. The important thing, according to the expert, “is that these drugs are part of the usual clinical practice – D’Amico points out -. In gastroenterology the first biosimilar took over in 2013. Since then we have collected a lot of data regarding the efficacy and safety of these molecules and most of the patients who today start biological therapy, start a biosimilar, the originator drug is rarely used . The important thing is to discuss it with the patient, because with regard to the transition from the originator drug to the biosimilar – the so-called switching – adequate doctor-patient communication is necessary in order to clarify that therapeutic continuity is guaranteed and that any decision is not subordinated. to the mere economic discourse, but there is a practical discourse of efficacy and safety and the possibility of being able to treat a greater number of patients. This is also due to the fact that in the last 20 years the percentage of patients with inflammatory and chronic diseases who need these treatments has increased considerably and consequently the need for these drugs has increased ”. And finally: “When we talk about biosimilars we are talking about brand new drugs built with innovative technologies – adds D’Amico – highly similar to the biological ones already approved but for which the patent has expired, so all other companies can produce the same type of drug . Many patients believe that biosimilars are generics of approved drugs. But they are wrong. Biosimilars are produced from biological, living cells. This means that there is no biosimilar equal to the other, by definition it cannot be a generic drug, that is, an equivalent. It is a different drug which, however, has the same efficacy and safety as the originator drug. But these are not generic drugs. I insist, correct information is needed, as well as dwelling on the efficacy and safety data rather than on costs “concludes D’Amico.