Submitted: 19 January 2017; Revised: 20 January 2017; Accepted: 23 January 2017; Published online first: 6 February 2017 In an article published in US Pharmacist [1] Manigault et al. emphasize a number of barriers that still exist to effective generics substitution in the US, and show how pharmacists, with some knowledge and insight, can help […]
Submitted: 1 December 2016; Revised: 6 December 2016; Accepted: 7 December 2016; Published online first: 12 December 2016 In Sweden, the government funds an insurance programme covering 75–80% of the cost of prescription drugs for patients. Since 2002, in an attempt to contain costs, pharmacists have had to inform consumers whether less expensive substitute products […]
Submitted: 28 November 2016; Revised: 29 November 2016; Accepted: 30 November 2016; Published online first: 5 December 2016 In the journal Blood, Jones et al. [1] discuss strategies used by brand pharmaceutical companies, often in combination, to delay market entry of affordable generic drugs in the US and other countries. They highlight how these strategies […]
Submitted: 21 November 2016; Revised: 22 November 2016; Accepted: 24 November 2016; Published online first: 30 November 2016 Authors from the IRCCS – Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche ‘Mario Negri’, Milan, Italy discuss some of the most frequent concerns raised by internists (doctors of internal medicine) about biosimilars [1]. They also try to explain the scientific […]
Submitted: 21 November 2016; Revised: 22 November 2016; Accepted: 24 November 2016; Published online first: 30 November 2016 A study of pharmacists investigated their perceptions of biosimilar naming conventions and the impact it might have on their dispensing habits [1]. The study found that pharmacists had a preference for distinguishable names. However, using the same […]
Submitted: 30 June 2016; Revised: 1 July 2016; Accepted: 1 July 2016; Published online first: 4 July 2016 The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) decision to approve the use of CPT-13, an infliximab biosimilar, in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), has proven controversial. In two papers, Professor Fernando Gomollón [1, 2] has reviewed and […]
Submitted: 29 February 2016; Revised: 15 March 2016; Accepted: 16 March 2016; Published online first: 29 March 2016 Use of brand name drugs over generic equivalents after expiration of exclusivity still prevails. Ameet Sarpatwari and Aaron Kesselheim argue the case for reforming drug naming by allowing generic products to share the brand names of their […]
Submitted: 15 December 2015; Revised: 15 December 2015; Accepted: 15 December 2015; Published online first: 16 December 2015 As a result of recent price increases and shortages, the US generics market has come under increasing scrutiny [1]. In a recent report by Wiske et al., authors from Brown, Duke and Harvard Universities discussed ways to […]
Submitted: 6 October 2015; Revised: 10 October 2015; Accepted: 12 October 2015; Published online first: 26 October 2015 The most critical safety concern relating to biologicals (including biosimilars) is immunogenicity. This is especially important for monoclonal antibody (mAb) biologicals, which are large molecules with complex structures and functions and which represent the largest class of […]
Submitted: 29 January 2019; Revised: 4 February 2019; Accepted: 5 February 2019; Published online first: 14 February 2019 Generic prescription drug prices have been escalating rapidly in the US. In 2014 alone, generic drug prices increased by 38% on average. Public outcry has led to a flurry of recent legislative proposals, and two federal bills […]
Submitted: 10 July 2015; Revised: 13 August 2015; Accepted: 13 August 2015; Published online first: 26 August 2015 Generic medicines can play a role in curbing rising pharmaceutical costs, and therefore the cornerstone of key policies within Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries has been to promote the wider use of generics after […]
Submitted: 11 February 2015; Revised: 14 February 2015; Accepted: 15 February 2015; Published online first: 20 February 2015 Cancer represents a significant, and growing, burden on healthcare systems around the world. Population growth and ageing will increase the number of new cancer cases in the coming years [1]. Furthermore, cancer is becoming a more widely […]
