A wide variety of participants representing patients, healthcare professionals, authorities and pharmaceutical industry companies shared experiences on the use of biological medicines, including biosimilars. The discussions focused on policy choices and practices related to the uptake of biosimilars, in particular on the long-term sustainability of the biosimilar market.

As in previous years, IQVIA (formerly Quintiles & IMS Health) presented the updated 2019 report on the impact of biosimilar competition.

The 'information guide for healthcare professionals', previously available only in 8 EU languages, is now available in all 23 EU languages: EN, DE, FR, ES, IT, NL, PL, PT, BG, CZ, EL, DA, ET, FI, HR, HU, LT, LV, MT, RO ,SK, SL, SE.

The EMA prepared this guide in collaboration with the Commission and scientific experts from the EU countries. EU organisations representing doctors, nurses, pharmacists and patients also contributed to its development. The guide provides EU healthcare professionals with reference information on the science and regulation supporting the use of biosimilars.

Documents & links

• Agenda
• Conference summary report
• List of organisations that attended the conference
• 2019 IQVIA report
• What I need to know about biosimilar medicines - Information for patients (2016)
• Fourth stakeholder conference page
• Third stakeholder conference page - with 2013 consensus information paper

Presentations

1. Tools to optimise biosimilars benefits from a societal perspective - HU Semmelweis University
2. A snapshot of the biosimilar market dynamics: IQVIA report 2019
3. Market dynamics - a perspective from the Directorate-General for Competition
4. Update on biosimilars in Germany - A German Physicians Association (KVWL) perspective
5. Biosimilars in Slovakia - A Slovakian Union Health Insurance Fund perspective
6. Promoting the use of biosimilars in France - A French Ministry of Solidarity & Health perspective
7. Sustainable procurement of medicines - A perspective from the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
8. How to improve early access to biosimilars - A pharmacist's perspective
9. Biosimilars in the EU: A paradigm in regulatory science - A European Medicines Agency perspective
10. How to improve early access to biosimilars - A patients organisation perspective
11. Ways to foster biosimilars access to patients - A clinician perspective
12. How to improve early access to biosimilars - A European specialist nurses organisation perspective
13. Danish experience with biosimilars - A Danish Medicines Agency perspective
14. Biosimilars in Hungary - A Hungarian Institute of Health Insurance Fund perspective

More information

• See more on our biosimilars in the EU page under the 'platform on access to medicines'
• See EMA's page on biosimilar medicines

Contact

Unit D3 - Biotechnology and Food Supply Chain GROW-D3@ec.europa.eu