Celano (Apmarr): “With biosimilar drugs it improves the quality of life of the chronically ill”

“Biosimilar drugs improve the quality of life of chronic patients suffering from rheumatological, gastrointestinal and dermatological diseases. Thanks to these therapies they are no longer forced to lose days of work due to pain. Thus, biosimilars help reduce the social costs associated with our pathologies that do not go into clinical remission. But for a conscious use it is necessary to give patients correct information. Communication is time for treatment: if the doctor could spend a few more words to inform the patient about the efficacy and safety of these drugs, we would have taken a big step forward “. This was stated by Antonella Celano, president of Apmarr, the national association of people with rheumatological and rare diseases, on the occasion of the webinar “Biosimilar, an opportunity to expand access to care” event promoted by Sandoz and broadcast live on the web channels of Adnkronos. The meeting, moderated by Federico Luperi, Director of Innovation and New Media and Digital Manager of Adnkronos, was also attended by Ferdinando D’Amico, gastroenterologist of the Center for chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases, Ibd Unit of San Raffaele in Milan, Claudio Jommi, Professor of Practice of Health Policy at SDA Bocconi and Paolo Fedeli, Country Medical Director Sandoz. “The arrival of biosimilar drugs on the Italian market was not easy – recalled Celano -. There have been a lot of communication problems. Patients were afraid of these drugs, so much so that by some there was even a real refusal of the therapies. As if that were not enough, the Regions for their part have tried to eliminate what is the freedom of the banned doctor. Result? Today we have a problem related to under-treatment: according to research carried out in 2020, just before the Covid-19 pandemic exploded, about 30% of patients eligible for therapy with biological or biosimilar drugs were without treatment. This is due to the imposition by some Regions, especially in those where there is a greater penetration of the biosimilar drug, which alarmed the doctor who feared losing prescribing freedom “. Not only. “The patient who did not know biosimilar drugs – continues Celano – thought that they were not safe drugs. I repeat, there was a lack of correct information, particularly when patients saw themselves changing the drug, with the transition from biologic to biosimilar. Everything passes through communication and everything passes through the trust you have in your doctor. If the patient is able to obtain all the information, he will never have doubts about what the doctor prescribes ”. The president of Apmarr has no doubts: biosimilar drugs “represent an opportunity” for patients “because they allow personalized treatments and the expansion of the possibility of treatment. The biosimilar is a tool that can free up resources that should possibly be reused in the same therapeutic area and in the same Asl for the purchase of tools useful for early diagnosis ”concluded Celano.