[What doctors need to know about biosimilar medicinal products?]

Acta Med Croatica. 2014 Apr;68(2):201-5.
[Article in Croatian]

Abstract

Biological drug is a drug containing one or more active substances produced or secreted from a biological source. Some of them may be previously present in the human body, and examples include proteins such as insulin, growth hormone or erythropoetin. Biosimilar drug is a medical product that is a copy of the original approved drug whose patent has expired. Strict rules apply to similar biological medicines: 1) it is unable to support extrapolation of data on safety and efficacy between individual indications, except in the case of appropriate, science-based evidence; 2) biosimilar drugs must meet the requirements associated with testing the immunogenicity and safety monitoring afterthe introduction of the drug in clinical practice, including the risk management program; 3) each biosimilar drug has to be labeled under its own name in order to allow clear traceability of all medications; and 4) the principle of automatic substitution cannot apply to biosimilar drugs because they are not interchangeable.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Attitude of Health Personnel*
  • Biosimilar Pharmaceuticals / standards*
  • Drug Approval
  • Drug Prescriptions / standards*
  • Growth Hormone / standards
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Human Growth Hormone / standards
  • Humans
  • Physician's Role*
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic
  • Professional Competence*

Substances

  • Biosimilar Pharmaceuticals
  • Human Growth Hormone
  • Growth Hormone