Hospira, Alliance for Health Reform Bring FDA, Industry Experts Together to Discuss the Future of Biosimilars in the US

Hospira joined forces with the Alliance for Health Reform and Amgen to bring the FDA and industry leaders together to discuss the future of biosimilars in the US.

With the US Congress focused intently on the discovery, development and delivery pipeline for innovative drugs and devices — and in the wake of the first-ever US approval of a biosimilar medication — key biosimilars policy and regulatory questions are being actively debated, with important implications for industry, patients and the healthcare system.

Moderated by Ed Howard, executive vice president of the Alliance for Health Reform, expert panelists discussed the US and global markets for reference biologics and biosimilars, outlined current policy and regulatory issues, and described implications for the future of the US biosimilar industry.

Panelists included

• Sally Howard, J.D., deputy commissioner for policy, planning, and legislation, FDA
• Sumant Ramachandra, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president and chief scientific officer, Hospira
• Amanda Bartelme, director, Avalere
• Geoff Eich, executive director, external affairs for Amgen Biosimilars.

"There is an unmet need that requires governments to develop strategies to help increase the understanding of biosimilars, to support successful market formation and to unlock value to help fund healthcare for their citizens," said Sumant Ramachandra, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president and chief scientific officer, Hospira. "In order to advance a positive market formation and uptake of biosimilars in the United States, public stakeholder understanding and support of biosimilars needs to be a priority."

Hospira is currently marketing biosimilars in Australia, Canada and Europe, where the company has seen biosimilars decrease the costs of biologics by 20–30%. This has allowed these global healthcare systems to reduce their healthcare spending, while at the same time increasing patient access to these important biologic medicines.