Jommi (SDA Bocconi): “Biosimilar drugs opportunities to be used at their best”

“Biosimilars are an opportunity to be used to the fullest. They are drugs similar to biologics and therefore less expensive because they do not require studies for research, but it is necessary to be aware of the fact that this possibility exists and that it must be used in the most advantageous way possible “. Thus Claudio Jommi, Professor of Practice of Health Policy at SDA Bocconi, in his speech during the webinar “Biosimilar, an opportunity to expand access to care” event promoted by Sandoz and broadcast live on the Adnkronos web channels. The meeting moderated by Federico Luperi, Director of Innovation and New Media and Digital Manager of Adnkronos, was attended by Ferdinando D’Amico, gastroenterologist of the Center for chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases, Ibd Unit of San Raffaele in Milan, Antonella Celano, President of Apmarr, National Association of People with Rheumatological and Rare Diseases and Paolo Fedeli, Country Medical Director Sandoz. During the debate it emerged that, according to the survey “Biological and biosimilar drugs” by Emg Different carried out between 12 and 16 November 2021 on a sample of 800 interviews. 52% do not know that biologics and biosimilars have different costs. While 39% of the sample is aware of the fact that organic costs more. On the economic impact of biosimilars, the expert in policies and HTA of the drug has no doubts: the biosimilar is a resource in which to invest both for the patient and for the National Health Service. “The role of biosimilars – said Jommi – is essentially that of generating price competition”, given that those of the reference organic whose patent has expired are also reduced. “This price competition – he adds – in conditions of overlap in terms of risks and benefits allows for the reinvestment of these resources”. Obviously the key issue is how to allocate the savings obtained. Three solutions proposed by Jommi: “The first is to increase the number of patients who are effectively eligible for treatment and who can be treated thanks also to a lower unit cost; the second – if this target population is really covered – is to use these resources in favor of new drugs that are launched on the market “, but which cannot draw on the Fund for innovative drugs. A third possibility “that must be discussed – he added – is the investment in the patient’s journey. Sometimes access to drugs is not limited only by a cost problem – he underlines – but by a path of diagnosis and access to treatment that is not managed in the best possible way “. If we invest in this path “it is possible that patients who do not arrive at the drug, not for a cost problem but strictly organizational, can actually access the treatment. Clearly, in principle, those who manage these resources – Regions, Healthcare Companies – have a task that is not always easy but, since the possible re-uses of these resources that are released are different, it is important to identify how many resources will be released, that is, to make an estimate of those resources. that could be the economic effects of the launch of new biosimilars due to patent expirations, once these resources have been identified, try to understand what are the priorities ”, concluded Jommi.