AMCP Partnership Forum Develops Innovative Strategies that Support the Use and Development of Biosimilars in the US Health Care System

Alexandria, Va., Dec. 21, 2020 — Last week, more than 30 experts representing payers, pharmacists, integrated delivery systems, health economists and analysts, patient advocates, academicians, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and other key decision-makers in the managed care setting convened virtually for AMCP’s Partnership Forum “Biosimilars: Policy, Practice, and Post-Marketing Surveillance to Support Treatment and Coverage Decisions” to identify key actions that support the use and development of biosimilars in the U.S. health care system.

“It is our responsibility as managed care pharmacy professionals to aid biosimilar adoption and improve patient health,” said AMCP CEO Susan Cantrell, RPh, CAE. “Biologics, including biosimilars, offer a critical opportunity for expanding patient access to high-quality, cost-effective medications while reducing health care costs. Stakeholders from all corners of managed care pharmacy participated in AMCP’s Partnership Forum and delivered innovative strategies to support the development and adoption of biosimilars. AMCP is dedicated to continuing to partner with managed care pharmacy stakeholders to implement these strategies and advocate for the broader acceptance of biologics as safe and effective therapeutic options, as well as increase access to them.”

Forum participants analyzed key barriers and misinformation around biosimilar adoption to bridge gaps in provider knowledge, generate more real-world (RWE) evidence, streamline biosimilar approval processes, and improve education and messaging around safety and efficacy for biologic drugs.

To navigate the complexities of the biosimilar terrain, participants suggested the following strategies around education, language, real-world evidence, benefit design, legislation and regulations, confidence, and thought sharing: 

• Build positive, evidence-based communication and educational materials around biosimilar adoption, differentiated to meet various audiences, including patients, prescribers/providers, and payers. Amplify existing resources, such as IQVIA data and FDA education resources, that help clarify some of the complexities around biosimilars. 

• Draw from best practices to clarify and simplify language around biosimilars, particularly around the concepts of interchangeability and substitutability, as well as implement common language to increase confidence in switching. 

• Identify gaps in data that may require development of new resources and surveillance mechanisms for biosimilar use. Collect RWE and post-marketing surveillance data related to adverse events and side effects, as well as switching data (reference products to biosimilars; biosimilars to biosimilars) to help evaluate relative effectiveness and safety.  

• Review benefit design to address complexities to identify improvements that enhance access to biologic drugs, especially as more come to market that will be covered under the pharmacy benefit. In addition, investigate how to change provider reimbursement incentives to support prescribing of the most cost-effective product. 

• Continue to combat attempts to unfairly delay competition and to mitigate other issues that are keeping biosimilars from gaining traction in the market. As the biosimilar marketplace grows, it is expected that more experience will help to spur more evidence around, and comfortability with, biosimilars.  

• Work to rebuild the public’s confidence in science and the FDA approval process through education and positive messaging, particularly as it pertains to biosimilars.  

• Share learnings from across disease states, stakeholder groups, and the globe with the goal to pull together and disseminate best practices from areas where biosimilar uptake efforts have succeeded. 

All findings and recommendations from the AMCP Partnership Forum “Biosimilars: Policy, Practice, and Post-Marketing Surveillance to Support Treatment and Coverage Decisions,” will be published in an upcoming issue of AMCP’s Journal of Managed Care + Specialty Pharmacy. In addition, AMCP will host a webinar in June 2021 reporting the findings & recommendations. The event was sponsored by Agmen, the Association for Accessible Medicines, Boehringer Ingelheim, Fresenius Kabi, Johnson & Johnson, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sandoz, and Takeda.  

About AMCP  

AMCP is the professional association leading the way to help patients get the medications they need at a cost they can afford. AMCP’s diverse membership of pharmacists, physicians, nurses, biopharmaceutical professionals, and other stakeholders leverage their specialized expertise in clinical evidence and economics to optimize medication benefit design and population health management and help patients access cost-effective and safe medications and other drug therapies. AMCP members improve the lives of nearly 300 million Americans served by private and public health plans, pharmacy benefit management firms, and emerging care models. Visit www.amcp.org.