Sandoz introduces Act4Biosimilars Action Plan to accelerate patient access to biosimilar medicines

On Jun 15, 2023

Sandoz announced the launch of a global roadmap to increase patient access to biologic medicines. The Act4Biosimilars Action Plan is part of the Act4Biosimilars initiative, founded by Sandoz and launched in 2022, and aims to increase global biosimilar adoption by at least 30 percentage points in 30+ countries by 2030.

Professor Emeritus Tore K. Kvien, previous Head of Department of Rheumatology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital for 25 years and a member of the Act4Biosimilars Steering Committee, said, “The time to globalize biosimilars is now, so that advanced biologic medicines are accessible to patients who need them most. Their benefits are proven, and it’s time to bring them to more patients and health systems across the world.”

The Act4Biosimilars Action Plan highlights the most critical challenges preventing patient access to biosimilar medicines, as well as actionable steps to accelerate adoption by overcoming those challenges. The Action Plan will be complemented by a series of reports which provides analysis of the key challenges by region. The first region spotlighted is the Americas and includes the following insights:

In the United States, the interchangeability regulatory guidelines have caused confusion among patients and healthcare professionals.
Due to gaps in the regulatory pathways, patients in Colombia and Ecuador can be exposed to biocopies which may not meet the rigorous international guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the approval of biosimilars.
In Canada, the U.S. and Brazil, educational materials exist, however a lack of alignment across stakeholder groups on the materials has led to confusion amongst healthcare professionals and patients.
Unsustainable procurement practices, such as single-winner tenders, are common in Mexico and Brazil, creating supply continuity risks and potential disruptions to patient care.

To address these and other challenges, the Action Plan features 12 key initiatives to accelerate biosimilar adoption across the 4As – Approvability, Acceptability, Accessibility, and Affordability. It provides actionable steps designed to help local stakeholders foster a more favorable environment for biosimilars in their country and ultimately drive global adoption.

Laura Wingate, Executive Vice President, Education, Support & Advocacy at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation said, “Biosimilars can be life-changing for patients and their families and can play a critical role in overcoming health inequalities seen across the world. As a stakeholder-driven initiative, Act4Biosimilars aims to empower local stakeholders on the ground, who are passionate about increasing patient access to advanced medicines. We are asking them to download the Action Plan, use the information provided, and join the movement to increase biosimilar adoption.”

The Steering Committee is working with local stakeholders across the Americas to implement the Action Plan and identify and address the key challenges holding back wider biosimilar adoption. The Steering Committee will turn its focus to Europe in Q4 2023, the Middle East & Africa in Q1 2024, and Asia Pacific in Q2 2024.

Arnold Vulto, Independent Consultant and Educator, VuPEC, said, “All healthcare stakeholders play an important role in improving patient access to biosimilars. So whether you’re a physician, nurse, pharmacist, payer, or a patient, look for possibilities on how biosimilars can benefit your health system and patients. I encourage you to join the Act4Biosimilars movement as collaboration is the driving force behind the initiative, and those committed to the Mission should get in touch.”

For nearly two decades, the introduction of biosimilars have enabled expanded or earlier patient access to biologic treatment. It is estimated that between 2023 and 2027, biosimilars could generate $290 billion in savings globally. However, biosimilars are still unavailable in most countries and there are significant challenges to expand access. As a result, their impact on patients varies widely.