2022 Biosimilar Awareness Week: 30 May – 3 June

Delivering to all Australians, equitable access to affordable medicines, is a key focus of the 2022 Biosimilar Awareness Week, launched as Australia emerges from a global health and economic crisis.

GBMA Education, the Generic and Biosimilar Medicines (GBMA) educational arm, welcomed the opportunity for Australian patients, their doctors, and pharmacists, to join the online conversation that recognises the role of biosimilar medicines in ensuring the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) remains sustainable.

GBMA’s Independent Chair, Professor Jane Halton AO PSM, said today that Australians with a serious or chronic disease, such as cancer, diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis, may very well be treated right now with a medicine, known as a ‘biologic’.

“These are new, innovative, cutting edge, lifesaving and very, very expensive.” Professor Halton said.

Seven of the top 10 medicines on the PBS¹ are biologics, worth approximately $AUD 1.7 billion per year – 10% of the overall cost of the PBS.

“Driving more and more biosimilars onto the PBS is mission critical to not only offset the escalating cost of subsidising these innovative medicines,” Professor Halton said, “but to help the fiscal repair of our overwhelmed heath budget.”

This year’s virtual event marks the final Biosimilar Awareness Week under the GBMA Education Grant, that commenced in 2018.

GBMA Education’s CEO, Ms Marnie Peterson said the initiative had been a very successful collaboration with the GBMA and the Australian Government and the GBMA looks forward to further supporting local and global educational initiatives to increase biosimilar use.

“Over the time of the grant we have seen prescriber confidence to switch a patient to a biosimilar medicine has more than doubled² and the confidence amongst community and hospital pharmacists’ increased dramatically by 77% and 90% respectively,” Ms Peterson said. “Significantly, 81% of consumers surveyed said they are confident taking biosimilar medicines.”

Ms Peterson said biosimilars – like generic medicines – anchor the country’s world-class health system to ensure it remains sustainable, flexible, and dynamic and continues to serve all Australians

“We invite all Australian patients, their families, specialists, GPs, pharmacists and the broader community to engage with the 2022 Biosimilar Awareness Week across our online channels.”

Professor Halton said the Board and members of the GBMA looked forward to working with the new Health Minister and their Government to ensure equitable and timely access to these affordable medicines.

“Together, we can mark the dawn of a new era in medicine policy, medicine affordability and in medicine choice.”

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