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Journal de Pharmacie Clinique

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Biosimilars, a cause for concern? The patient associations perspectives Volume 37, supplement 1, Mars 2018

Author
Association Afa Crohn.RCH.France, Paris, France
* Tirés à part

The arrival of biotherapies has been an important advance in the treatment of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, chronic inflammatory rheumatism or psoriasis. While other innovative treatments are expected, why such a debate on the biosimilars of anti-TNF? The confusion in the evolution of official speech and the lack of interest of physicians before the arrival of biosimilars led patient associations to mobilize to clarify positions that were sometimes contradictory. Were the savings placed first before the safety of patients? The complexity of the subject and these “big” molecules would not it reproduce the difficulties encountered for the generics in the past? What security for patients between the “scientific extrapolation/immunogenicity” vs. “real life with the original drug”? The information (meant as adherence) of the patients, the traceability and the biosimilar manufacture were the main issues brought by the associations. The arrival of the biosimilar for infliximab, a hospital prescription product that has been available since march 2015, made it possible to prepare that of adalimumab delivered in the community pharmacies in 2018. The prescription by the physician and possible the substitution by the pharmacist must go through the information of the patient, the only informed decision-maker. It is the condition for a necessary confidence in the long-term management of their chronic diseases.