Since the 1980s, biological medicines have been used to treat a wide number of diseases. This is the case with insulin, growth hormone or other therapies for autoimmune diseases or cancer. They all contain active ingredients from a biological source, such as living organisms or cells.
For its part, as explained by the Spanish Association of Biosimilars (BioSIM), a biosimilar medicine is a compound equivalent in quality, efficacy and safety to an original or reference biological drug, with the same dosage and route of administration. They are formulas authorized and marketed in the European Union, after the patent of the original has expired. Thus, by promoting competition in the pharmaceutical market, they contribute to the sustainability of health systems and encourage the research of new treatments. And this allows a greater number of patients to benefit from this type of treatment.
During the approach of a certain disease, if the doctor considers it, he can decide whether to start a new treatment with a biosimilar medicine directly or to substitute a reference biological medicine for its biosimilar equivalent, always providing the patient with all the necessary information.
Fair implementation
The autonomous communities have been drawing up strategies for years to guarantee the implementation of these therapies in all hospitals in an equitable way. Some strategies that are recognized each year in the Best in Class (BiC) Awards, awarded by Gaceta Médica and the Chair of Innovation and Health Management at the Rey Juan Carlos University. In 2020, the Community of Madrid was the winner of the award for the Best Innovation and Biosimilars Project, which has the collaboration of Novartis. The BiC reviews in this edition the regions that meet with greater determination a series of indicators that allow assessing their commitment to these therapies, for the sake of sustainability.
Within the framework of the BIC awards, the deputy director general of pharmacy of the Community of Madrid, María José Calvo, emphasizes two basic keys: training for professionals and information for patients. This duality is necessary, he explains, so that the former transfer their knowledge and can approach the treatment together with the patients. They also actively work with hospital pharmacy specialists, especially in management, centralized purchasing and to promote that biosimilars are included in all services of all hospitals as one of the main alternatives.
As Calvo assures, these high impact molecules “have led to great savings to the system” due to their great efficiency. Precisely, some time ago, the Community of Madrid launched the Results Observatory, which offers useful information to citizens on the use of these therapies in each hospital. “In short, we recommend, train and advise. We go hand in hand with the professionals, helping them from the part of training and management, and they from the conviction within the hospitals ”, concludes this expert.
