Geneva, Switzerland.
Today marks the launch of Global Biosimilars Week 2025, an international awareness campaign led by the International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (IGBA). This year’s theme, “Biosimilars: A Wise Investment for Global Health,” highlights the growing importance of biosimilar medicines in improving access to treatment, enhancing healthcare sustainability, and promoting global health equity.
https://globalbiosimilarsweek.org/2025/ With over 1,200 biosimilar approvals worldwide, these quality-assured medicines are well positioned to reshape the treatment landscape: each one represents an opportunity to optimise national spending and improve the lives of patients living with Non-Communicable Diseases. Translating global approvals into local impact takes coordinated and tailored efforts.
- Regulatory Efficiency represents only half of the equation. Mexico among others, has engaged in regulatory reliance procedures as a means to overcome capacity constraints and to reduce approval delays.
- Modernizing and aligning helpful purchasing processes and creating pro-competitive markets to welcome supply of the quality-assured biosimilar medicines is another essential step. Malaysia has managed to drastically increase the population use of biosimilar insulins and insulin analogs along with reinforced supply, thanks to carefully crafted uptake and purchasing policies.
“As global leaders confront the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), $47 trillion globally from 2010 to 2030, and following the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting, the need for smarter access strategies has never been clearer”, said Susana Almeida, Secretary General of IGBA. “Biosimilar medicines are more than cost-effective options—they are powerful tools to close treatment gaps, build resilient health systems, and deliver on the promise of health for all. With over 1,200 approvals globally, we have over 1,200 reasons to do better.”
Throughout the week, stakeholders across healthcare, policy, and patient communities will come together to raise awareness and advocate for policies that align biosimilar access with global health priorities. A key highlight of the campaign is the upcoming webinar:
- Aligning Biosimilar Access Policies and Global Health Priorities – Register Here
Let’s recognize biosimilar medicines as a cornerstone of today’s healthcare—and take collective action to ensure equitable access for patients and communities everywhere.
Media Contact:
- Visit www.globalbiosimilarsweek.org and www.igbamedicines.org
- Follow the hashtag #GlobalBiosimilarsWeek on social media
- Follow the IGBA LinkedIn channel: igba-international-generic-and-biosimilars-association
- Questions? Contact the IGBA through this Form
Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association
Level 17, 1 Denison St, North Sydney, NSW 2060
admin@gbma.com.au
ABOUT IGBA
The International Generic and Biosimilar medicines Association (IGBA) strengthens cooperation between associations representing manufacturers of generic and biosimilar medicines from around the world. Adopting a patient centric approach, IGBA works to improve patients’ access to quality assured, safe and cost-effective medicines by promoting competition and enabling innovation in the pharmaceutical sector and sustainable economic contributions for all stakeholders. For more details, regarding IGBA and its member associations, see the IGBA website at: www.igbamedicines.org.
ABOUT GBMA
The Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (GBMA) is the peak representative body of generic and biosimilar medicine suppliers in Australia. Its members ensure that all Australians are offered the highest quality generic and biosimilar medicines in the world whilst providing affordable community health outcomes that benefit all Australians.
ABOUT BIOSIMILARS1
Biosimilar medicines are highly similar versions of the original, or ‘reference’, brand of a biological medicine. They are subject to the same regulatory standards and are equally safe and effective at treating the conditions as the original biological medicine.2
Biosimilar brands of medicine come onto the market after the patent for the equivalent reference brand of a biological medicine has expired. They provide more brand options for the same clinical results and introduce competition into the medicines market. They have been available in use for more than 15 years.
- https://www.health.gov.au/topics/medicines/about-medicines
- https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/biosimilar-medicines-regulation.pdf
