On 8 October 2020 DiCE invited European experts from the fields of oncology, nursing, pharmacology, patient advocacy, health economics and the industry to participate in an online workshop to identify and discuss the educational needs of patients for biosimilar medicines (biosimilars) and the barriers to biosimilar acceptance.

The workshop forms part of a two-year project and is a follow up on DiCE’s position paper on biosimilars. It is happening at a time when several biosimilar medicines for bevacizumab have been approved by the European Medicines Agency and are already available in some markets. These newly approved medicines can help reduce inequalities in healthcare across Europe as they provide an excellent opportunity for more patients with metastatic colorectal cancer to receive biologic treatments in countries where access is limited. Biosimilar use can also contribute to the economic sustainability of healthcare systems.

Next steps for the team include generating content for the educational material based on the workshop discussions in collaboration with our experts. Prior to producing materials for patients, we will seek patients’ viewpoints via focus groups organised in Belgium, Poland and Spain – the three countries on which the project is focussed for their different geographies, populations and healthcare systems.

The project is supported by the policy group RPP and is funded by a Pfizer competitive, independent medical education grant. Its main aims are to:

1. Generate a consensus message on biosimilars
2. Create biosimilar educational materials for patients and healthcare professionals
3. Develop informed guidelines and policies around biosimilars at EU and national levels

For more information including biographies of the working group please discover more or contact us.

Author:
Catie Young