Study objectives: In Latin America, many governments have attempted to address biosimilar safety and efficacy concerns by developing abbreviated regulatory pathways to increase access while controlling quality. This study explores discount and evidence requirements for payers and physicians to provide access to and prescribe biosimilars in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. Methods: We conducted targeted literature…

Author(s): , André Vidal Pinheiro, PhD, Daniele Severi Bruni, MPhil, Ronald Halbert, MD, MPH, Erik Sandorff, MA, MBA

biosimilar pharmaceuticals, discounts, drug industry, Latin America, prescribing

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2015.0401.005

Objective: One of the questions that the advent of biosimilars raises is whether the different nature of biological medicines would also imply the need for a different policy approach by Member States in the European Union (EU). To assess the policy environment the European Biopharmaceutical Enterprises (EBE) conducted a brief descriptive policy survey of pricing…

Author(s): European Biopharmaceutical Enterprises

biological medicines, biosimilars, off-patent market, pricing and reimbursement policy

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2015.0401.006

Submitted: 10 February 2015; Revised: 24 February 2015; Accepted: 25 February 2015; Published online first: 6 March 2015 The past year has once again been a busy one for the biosimilars industry. One of the most important milestones during 2014 was the news that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had accepted several biosimilars…

Author(s): GaBI Journal Editor

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2015.0401.010

Submitted: 24 January 2015; Revised: not applicable; Accepted: 27 January 2015; Published online first: 30 January 2015 The ‘International Generic Drug Regulators Pilot’ (IGDRP) seems to be a true model for the future of authorization processes. It was first founded back in April 2012 with the aim to promote the international collaboration within authorization processes…

Author(s): Christoph Baumgärtel, MD, MSc, DI Dr Katharina Gazda-Pleban

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2015.0401.011

Abstract: Qatar’s pharmaceutical market is likely to remain highly dependent on imports. The use of generic medicines remains a great challenge to the country. Submitted: 18 December 2014; Revised: 28 January 2015; Accepted: 1 February 2015; Published online first: 13 February 2015 Qatar is the world’s richest country per capita. The country established its National…

Author(s): Professor Mohamed Izham Mohamed Ibrahim, PhD

generic medicines, pharmaceutical policy, Qatar

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2015.0401.003

Abstract: Notwithstanding the scientific and regulatory differences between generic and biosimilar medicines, the European Medicines Agency/Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has consistently applied a ‘same active substance’ approach to both. Submitted: 28 November 2014; Revised: 20 January 2015; Accepted: 27 January 2015; Published online first: 30 January 2015 It is often stated that…

Author(s): Barbara J van Zwieten-Boot, Marcel Hoefnagel, Peter MJM Jongen, R Martijn van der Plas

active substance, biosimilar, EMA, Europe, guidelines, regulatory

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2015.0401.004

Abstract: Biosimilar products confront novel market authorization and post-marketing use hurdles. Existing evidence is insufficient to fully address physician and payer acceptability thresholds. Submitted: 4 March 2015; Revised: 5 March 2015; Accepted: 9 March 2015; Published online first: 20 March 2015 In this issue of GaBI Journal, Sandorff et al. [1] investigate payer and physician…

Author(s): Professor Alan Lyles, BSPharm, MPH, ScD, PhD (h.c.)

acceptability, biologicals, biosimilars, interchangeability, pricing

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2015.0401.002

Editor's Letter

Published on 26 March 2015

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

This first 2015 GaBI Journal issue (fourth volume of the journal) is being published soon after the first US biosimilar approval and it contains a number of articles that illustrate how the development, marketing and acceptance of biosimilars differ globally including in North and South America and the Persian Gulf States. An Editorial entitled Biosimilars:…

Author(s): Professor Philip D Walson, MD

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2015.0401.001

This was a joint meeting of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), The Transplant Society (TTS) and the American Society of Transplantation (ATS). The Congress was packed with an impressive number of interesting Symposia, State-of-the-Art Lectures as well as Plenary and Poster Sessions covering all aspects of basic and clinical research and care of…

Author(s): Professor Philip D Walson, MD

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2014.0304.047

Two countries that were affected by the recent economic recession in different ways, and amended their pharmaceutical policies very differently, have provided researchers with an invaluable data set pointing to the strengths and weaknesses of contrasting pharmaceutical sector policies. The use of antipsychotic medicines across Finland and Portugal following the recession has been analysed in…

Author(s): GaBI Journal Editor

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2014.0304.049

Abstract: Biotech giant Amgen now has a biosimilars programme that includes nine different molecules. A representative from Amgen has spoken to GaBI about the company’s venture into biosimilars. Topics included how to encourage the use of biosimilars and how a Japanese example of biosimilars uptake can help Europe in increasing use of biosimilars. Submitted: 25…

Author(s): GaBI Journal Editor

biosimilar, naming, uptake

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2014.0304.048

Abstract: The regulatory oversight of biologicals in Malaysia is established by the National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau (NPCB), Ministry of Health. At the agency, the Section on Biotechnology Product Registration exercises the marketing authorization function as the National Regulatory Authority (NRA). This paper provides an overview of the organization, regulatory expectations and current practices of the…

Author(s): Arpah Abas, BPharm, Yvonne Siew Khoon Khoo, BPharm (Hons) MMedSc, PhD (Pharmacology)

biologicals, evaluation, Malaysia, National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau (NPCB), regulation

DOI: 10.5639/gabij.2014.0304.044