Introduction to Biosimilars

Biologic medications have revolutionized the care of patients with chronic diseases especially inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although highly effective, biologic medications are costly and account for a large portion of the financial burden on the healthcare system. Biologic medications are the primary driver for significant increases in overall healthcare costs over the past decade for IBD care. This has led to the development of biosimilar agents which are less expensive and provide therapeutic options with similar efficacy and safety.

Educating providers and patients on the similar safety and efficacy of biosimilars and the cost savings are vital factors that impact acceptance of biosimilar agents. 

This biosimilar educational website was designed for healthcare providers (physicians, advanced practitioners, trainees, nurses, and pharmacists) and patients/caregivers with a partnership between Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, and ImproveCareNow.

We created educational materials based on the five objectives below. We encourage you to explore the material that is most pertinent to you and your learning experience. Use the links below to navigate to more information about each objective or use the left-side menu.

  1. Establish an understanding of biosimilar medications, their development, and the approval process [Internal link]
  2. Understand data on safety, efficacy, and cost savings associated with biosimilars, switching, and interchangeability [Internal link]
  3. Explore strategies to reduce the nocebo effect associated with biosimilar use [Internal link]
  4. Institute an approach to increase biosimilar utilization [Internal link]
  5. Review currently available biosimilars and explore the biosimilar pipeline [Internal link]

Before diving into the content, please take this brief survey to assess your knowledge and attitudes related to biosimilars. About one month after viewing the material, we will send a post-survey. If you provide your email and fill out both surveys, you will be entered in a drawing for a $100 debit card. You are able to explore the educational materials without taking the survey. Click the button below to be taken to an external site for the survey. Close the survey browser to return to this website at anytime. You can also access the survey using the button in the left-side menu.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *