TITLE:
Biosimilars in Brazil: The Beginning of an Era of Broader Access
AUTHORS:
Marcio Debiasi, Franklin Fernandes Pimentel, Paula Juliana Seadi Pereira, Carlos H. Barrios
KEYWORDS:
Cancer Therapy, Biosimilar, Trastuzumab, Herceptin, Breast Cancer
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cancer Therapy,
Vol.8 No.9,
September
12,
2017
ABSTRACT: Cancer is a major public health issue worldwide, especially in the
developing world where 70% of the cancer-related deaths occur. During the last
three decades, with the advent of targeted therapies using monoclonal
antibodies, patients’ survival and quality of life have dramatically improved.
Unfortunately, these great accomplishments came at the expense of high
financial costs which most of the population living in low-and middle-income
countries cannot afford. Biosimilars (biotherapeutic products that are similar to an already licensed reference
biotherapeutic product in terms of quality, safety and efficacy) have been successfully used in Europe and in US with
a substantial reduction in price of around 30%. Brazil is about to have
trastuzumab as the first biosimilar available to treat cancer patients in the
country. Based on strict regulatory legislations, biosimilars are expected to
deliver affordable yet effective and safe treatment options all over the world,
expanding the access to cancer treatment and reducing inequalities.