Dr. Esteva on the Future of Biosimilars in Breast Cancer

Francisco J. Esteva, MD, PhD, director, breast medical oncology program, Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, discusses the future use of biosimilars in breast cancer within the United States.

Biosimilars have been widely used and adopted in Europe in a variety of disciplines, says Esteva. Although there appears to be more reluctance in the United States to introduce biosimilar therapy, providers and patients alike in both the United States and Europe are comfortable with the use of biosimilar products in supportive care, such as granulocyte-colony stimulating factor.

There is more apprehension regarding the use of biosimilars in the context of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, he explains. However, based on what has been seen in other countries, he feels optimistic that they will increasingly be used in this space as well in the future.

In Europe, biosimilars have been shown to reduce the cost of expensive medications in certain areas of medicine by up to 30%, says Esteva. Due to these cost savings, Esteva expects the use of these products to increase substantially in the future.