Although biosimilar drugs have the potential to offer patients significant cost savings, integrating them into practice requires a thorough understanding by multidisciplinary cancer care teams.
A biosimilar is a biological medical product that is highly similar to and has no clinically meaningful differences from an existing FDA-approved biological product. Unlike generic medications, biosimilars are not identical to their name-brand counterparts because they are made from living organisms.
To provide multidisciplinary cancer care members with a one-stop hub for vetted information about biosimilars, the ACCC has established the Biosimilars Education Center. The center provides resources for discussing the use of biosimilars with patients and caregivers, as well as guidelines for introducing these drugs into the oncology workflow. Through these resources, the ACCC hopes to better support patients so they can make more informed decisions about incorporating biosimilars into their cancer treatment plan.
Guided by an advisory committee of national experts, ACCC will:
For more information on this project, please contact the ACCC Provider Education department.
The Association of Community Cancer Centers has created a Biosimilars Discussion Guide to assisted healthcare providers and their patients answer common questions around the use of biosimilars to treat cancer and control treatment side effects. Download this fact sheet as a conversation starter, and record critical information for your patients to take home with them.
Ali McBride, PharmD, MS, BCOP, clinical coordinator of Hematology and Oncology in the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Arizona Cancer Center and past president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), discusses the anticipated growth for the US biosimilar market and what the ACCC is doing to further uptake efforts.
Funding & support provided by Pfizer, Amgen, and Coherus.
