Submitted: 3 February 2020; Revised: 12 February 2020; Accepted: 18 February 2020; Published online first: 25 February 2020 2019 has been a busy year for biosimilars; there have been a record number of approvals and the start of many clinical trials. It has been a particularly busy year for the oncology and anti-inflammatory therapeutic areas, with…

Author(s): GaBI Journal Editor

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2020.0901.007

Abstract: As per regulatory requirements, biosimilar drugs must show high similarity to their reference product in quality, preclinical and clinical tests. It is by these means that biosimilars are considered to be safe and efficacious. In India, any major deviation(s) from science-based principles in the manufacturing of a recombinant DNA-derived therapeutic biological product leads to…

Author(s): GR Soni, PhD

biosimilar, CDSCO, Innovator Reference Biological Product, non-innovator biologic, RCGM

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2020.0901.006

Abstract: While Americans are deeply concerned about drug prices, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) continues to negotiate agreements like the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that put at risk the sustainability of the generics industry and undermine the development of biosimilars that play a critical role in access to medicines. It is time to restore…

Author(s): Maria Fabiana Jorge, MBA

access to medicines, biosimilars, generic drugs, trade agreements, USMCA

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2020.0901.005

Abstract: Around the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries, national regulatory authorities are struggling with registration backlogs and the affordability of medicines. This paper draws on the example of cancer biosimilars in South Africa to illustrate how non-governmental organizations can help regulatory authorities decide which registration applications to prioritize by providing information on clinical…

Author(s): Paul Malherbe, PhD

biosimilars, non-governmental organizations, registration backlog, regulation

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2020.0901.004

Introduction: Many countries have introduced policies and strategies to limit pharmaceutical expenditures. These include pharmaceutical pricing policies and related strategies to control medicine prices and to ensure appropriate and stable prices. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the current pharmaceutical pricing policy for medicines in Saudi Arabia and to provide…

Author(s): Alian A Alrasheedy, BPharm(Hons), MPharm(Clin), PhD, MACP, RPh

health expenditures, medicine prices, pharmaceutical expenditure, pharmaceutical policy, pricing, Saudi Arabia

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2020.0901.003

Author byline as per print journal: Shon Crampton1, BA; Alla Polozova1, PhD; Darin Asbury2, BS; Alexis Lueras2, BS; Paul Breslin1, BS; Jane Hippenmeyer3, PharmD; Jennifer Litowski1, PhD; Monica Goss2, PhD Study objectives: To investigate the quality and in-use stability of diluted ABP 980 (a trastuzumab biosimilar) versus reference trastuzumab to mimic dosing in intravenous (IV)…

ABP 980, biosimilar, stability, trastuzumab

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2020.0901.002

Editor's Letter

Published on 24 March 2020

Editor’s introduction to the initial issue of the ninth volume of GaBI Journal

The current coronavirus pandemic raises some important questions relevant to generic and/or biosimilar products. While still unproven, there are some indications that approved antiviral compounds exist which might be able to decrease coronavirus associated morbidity and mortality. It is also possible that antibody products could be effective. It is not clear however whether/how governments will…

Author(s): Professor Philip D Walson, MD

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2020.0901.001

Abstract: This article explains what motivated the Digestive Cancers Europe’s (DiCE) recent position paper on biosimilar medicines for colorectal cancer. Submitted: 7 October 2019; Revised: 14 October 2019; Accepted: 15 October 2019; Published online first: 25 October 2019 Background Colorectal cancer may not be as widely known or talked about as some other types of…

Author(s): Zorana Maravic, BSc, MBA

biosimilars, colorectal cancer, digestive cancers, patients, position paper

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2019.0803.017

Author byline as per print journal: Jon SB de Vlieger1, PhD; Professor Daan JA Crommelin2, PhD; Beat Flühmann3, PhD; Professor Imre Klebovich4, PharmD, PhD, DSc; Professor Stefan Mühlebach3,5, PhD; Vinod P Shah6, PhD Abstract: The 3rd International Symposium on Scientific and Regulatory Advances in Biological and Non-Biological Complex Drugs: A to Z in Bioequivalence (3rd…

Author(s): Beat Flühmann, PhD, Daan JA Crommelin, Imre Klebovich, Jon SB de Vlieger, PhD, Professor Stefan Mühlebach, PhD, Vinod P Shah, PhD

biological medicinal products, equivalence, nanomedicines, NBCD similar approach, non-biological complex drug (NBCD)

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2019.0803.016

Introduction: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Overview Workshop on GMP for Biologicals and Biosimilars was co-organized with the Generics and Biosimilars Initiative (GaBI). This meeting was intended to improve the understanding of the good manufacture practice (GMP) inspection framework for biological (and biosimilar) drugs among ASEAN countries. Methods: The workshop was held on…

Author(s): Adjunct Associate Professor Sia Chong Hock, BSc (Pharm), MSc, Elwyn Griffiths, DSc, PhD

ASEAN, biologicals, biosimilars, GMP

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2019.0803.015

Author byline as per print journal: Eric CK Siu1,4, MSc, PhD; Anne Tomalin2,4, BA, BSc; Kevin West3,4, BA; Sandra Anderson4, BA, MBA; George Wyatt1,4, BSc, MBA Abstract: Since the introduction of the first infliximab biosimilar, Inflectra®, significant changes have taken place in the Canadian biosimilar landscape, and both the regulatory and the reimbursement processes have…

Author(s): Anne Tomalin, BA, BSc, Eric CK Siu, MSc, PhD, George Wyatt, BSc, MBA, Kevin West, BA, Sandra Anderson, BA, MBA

biosimilars, CADTH CDR, CADTH pCODR, Health Canada, INESSS, pCPA

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2019.0803.014

Author byline as per print journal: Steven Kozlowski1, MD; Ellen Tworkoski2, MS, MPhil; Carmen Dekmezian2, MS; Yanchang Zhang2, MPH; Natasha Flowers2, BA; Alvin So3, MS; Andreas M Schick3, PhD; Michael Wernecke2, BA; Thomas MaCurdy2,4, PhD; Jeffrey A Kelman5, MD, MMSc Background: Drug pricing and availability are key concerns for reducing healthcare costs and meeting patient…

Author(s): Jeffrey A Kelman, MD, MMSc, Steven Kozlowski, MD, Ellen Tworkoski, MS, MPhil, Carmen Dekmezian, MS, Yanchang Zhang, MPH, Natasha Flowers, BA, Alvin So, MS, Andreas M Schick, PhD, Michael Wernecke, BA, Thomas MaCurdy, PhD

generic drugs, pharmacy, US Medicare

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2019.0803.013