Across Canada, biosimilar switching policies are coming into effect in all 13 jurisdictions.More recently, Newfoundland and Labrador1 and Yukon Territory2 It is the latest jurisdiction to add a biosimilar switching policy, making it the 9th and 10th jurisdictions to join the likes of Ontario. British Columbia (BC) was the first jurisdiction to implement such a policy in May 2019.
Territories and Provinces of Canada | Photo Credit: Porcupine – adobe.stock.com
The switch policy requires patients enrolled in the public medicines program to be prescribed a biosimilar over the reference product, although the included treatments differ between the two jurisdictions.
Biosimilars Canada explained that the cost of biologics can place a significant financial burden on pharmaceutical budgets, and that policies to switch patients to biosimilars could help public medicine programs expand access to treatment and We can help you invest in new and innovative drug therapies. Furthermore, the safety and efficacy of biosimilars are no different than the original biologics.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, providers have until March 31, 2024 to prepare and educate patients using reference products about the benefits of biosimilars. Affected brand name products are Copaxone (glatiramer acetate), Enbrel (etanercept), Humalog (insulin lispro), Humira (adalimumab), Lantus (insulin glargine), Lovenox (enoxaparin sodium), NovoRapid (insulin aspart), Remicade (infliximab) ), and Rituxan (rituximab).
Patients who do not wish to transition to biosimilars risk losing coverage under the official drug programs of Newfoundland and Labrador.
In the Yukon, the policy applies to Humira and Lantus first. Residents enrolled in Pharmacare and Chronic Disease and Disability programs will have six months to transition and maintain coverage beginning April 3, 2023. This policy will eventually be expanded to include additional biologics.
“Yukon physicians see the sustainability of the healthcare system as an important part of ensuring that Yukoners receive the best possible healthcare,” said Alex Koumet, M.D., Ph.D., of the Yukon Medical Association. said in a statement.3 “Incorporating biosimilars into publicly regulated drug and benefit programs is part of ensuring equitable, quality healthcare for the future.”
In 2022, BC will announce the results of the BC Biosimilars Initiative, BC’s mandatory biosimilar switching program.Four This initiative’s population-based, prospective cohort study investigated mandatory switching from Enbrel (etanercept) to a biosimilar.
At the time of the study, there were two etanercept biosimilars approved in Canada. Merck’s Brenzys (approved August 2016) and Sandoz’s Erelzi (approved April 2017). Since this study was published in his February 2022, his third etanercept biosimilar, Lupi’s Rymti, was approved in his September 2022.
The study found that prescribing of etanercept biosimilars increased from 17.3% in May 2019, when the policy went into effect, to 96.9% in December 2019. There was a 6-month transition period, with 65.1% of his patients switching to biosimilars by the end. On the other hand, 88.1% of his patients had switched by the end of her 1-year follow-up period.
This policy did not affect emergency department visits or hospitalizations.
“We found no permanent unintended changes in health service utilization, suggesting that switching to biosimilar etanercept had minimal impact on patient health.” the author concluded. “Additional clinical outcome studies are recommended to strengthen the evidence that there are no long-term unintended adverse health effects associated with switching from originator etanercept to biosimilars.”
reference
1. Newfoundland and Labrador announced a move to cost-saving biosimilars. Biosimilar Canada. news release. March 27, 2023. Accessed March 31, 2023.
2. Yukon announces move to cost-saving biosimilars. Biosimilar Canada. news release. March 30, 2023. Accessed March 31, 2023.
3. The Yukon government will strengthen its public drug program with biosimilars. Yukon. news release. March 29, 2023. Accessed March 31, 2023. https://yukon.ca/en/news/yukon-government-enhances-public-drug-plan-biosimilars
4. Fisher A, Kim JD, Carney G, Dormuth C. Rapid monitoring of healthcare service utilization following a policy of switching patients from founder to biosimilar etanercept in a British Columbia cohort study. BMC rheumatismPublished online January 27, 2022. doi:10.1186/s41927-021-00235-x
