IGBA Calls on all Stakeholders to Join the Biosimilars Movement on Advancing Access

– In the week ahead, IGBA will renew its commitment to the collaborative effort to establish worldwide biosimilar policies that deliver better health outcomes and biologics access equity for more patients. The second Global Biosimilars Week will run from 1^st to 5^th November 2021 on social media, supported by a dedicated website globalbiosimilarsweek.org.

This awareness campaign is open to all stakeholder contributions worldwide and seeks to gather, under one hashtag #globalbiosimilarsweek, useful ideas, experience, information and resources for and from patients, doctors and all other stakeholders across the healthcare community.

On 2^nd November, an online webinar entitled “Unlocking the Global Biosimilar Opportunity in Tackling Non-Communicable Diseases” will provide an additional platform for information and involvement.

“The COVID-19 global health crisis has led governments and the entire healthcare community to rethink and rebuild healthcare systems. This includes focusing on their ability to efficiently deliver access to biologic therapies and to effectively address Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs),” explained Sudarshan Jain, Chair of the IGBA. “Now is a time to reconcile the unique opportunity provided by the availability of biosimilar medicines and the rising challenges for many patients around the world to access quality-assured transformative therapies. We need to redouble the efforts to effectively tackle NCDs and biosimilar medicines are part of the solution.”

“With 15 years of positive biosimilar medicines contribution to patient health and healthcare system sustainability, the challenges and remedies to efficient use of biosimilar medicines are well known.  Our new white paper aims to facilitate experience sharing for communities wanting to Advance Access in their country or region and more importantly to implement effective and tailored strategies in tackling Non-Communicable Diseases locally,” said Julie Maréchal-Jamil, Co-Chair of the IGBA Biosimilars Committee.  

IGBA companies are the pioneers and global leaders in the development and marketing of biosimilar medicines. To date there have been more than 400 biosimilar approvals in IGBA’s membership jurisdictions, covering more than 10 therapeutic areas including oncology, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, growth disorders, nephrology, fertility, diabetes and ophthalmology.