How Similar Are Biosimilars to Biologics? Part I

New biosimilars are coming to market and there is a lot of confusion among patients about what this will mean for their treatment plan. We called on patient advocates Cristina Montoya and Lene Andersen to hear directly about their experience on a biologic and biosimilar, respectively. In this firs…

How Similar Are Biosimilars to Biologics?  Part II

Through conversations with patient advocates Cristina Montoya and Lene Andersen, we learn that many of the emotions and discussions around starting (and staying on) a treatment are in fact the same for biosimilars and biologics. In the second of a two-part episode, Cristina and Lene discuss that f…

Ep 1- Biosimilars 101

Biosimilar medications were introduced into the US market in 2015, but they’re still relatively unfamiliar to many people. In our first episode, co-hosts Zoe Rothblatt and Conner Mertens provide an overview of biosimilars – what they are, how they can help with certain medical conditions, and the m…

Ep 2- How Are Biosimilars Approved?

Biosimilar medications must still win approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In this episode, co-hosts Zoe Rothblatt and Conner Mertens explore that approval process, and explain the unique naming convention the FDA came up with for biosimilars. “They were really, really driven to unde…

Ep 3- Getting Comfortable with Biosimilars

Many patients have questions and may be reluctant to make the switch to biosimilars at first. In this episode, hosts Zoe Rothblatt and Conner Mertens talk to a few patients about their experiences starting a biosimilar. They discuss some of the hurdles they face, like overcoming hesitancy, getting …

Ep 4- Patients Make the Switch

In this episode, Zoe and Conner check in with several patients who’ve made the switch to a biosimilar to find out how they’re doing. Some patients taking a biosimilar have to travel to an infusion site to receive their medication, while others inject their medication at home. In those cases, biosim…

Ep 5- The Price and Hoops to Saving Money

When biosimilars were introduced into the US, there was much talk about how much money they could potentially save patients. Getting a biosimilar developed and approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is not as rigorous or time-consuming as for a biologic … which was touted as being more…

Ep 6- Dispelling Myths About Biosimilars

Biosimilars were first introduced into the US market about six years ago, but getting the all-important “patient buy-in” has been a slow process. Many patients are reluctant to switch to a biosimilar if they’re already happy taking a biologic. But another reason is the proliferation of myths and mi…

Ep 7- The Future of Biosimilars

The introduction of biosimilars in the US has been hampered by unrealized cost savings, myths and misinformation, and patient hesitancy. Still, many medical professionals see much to be optimistic about in the next few years. New biosimilars will soon be approved for the US market, and expectations…