Dr. Kalinsky Discusses Biosimilars in Breast Cancer

Kevin Kalinsky, MD, MS, assistant professor of medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical School, discusses the promise of biosimilars in breast cancer.

There is a lot of interest in trastuzumab (Herceptin) biosimilars in breast cancer. There are multiple studies ongoing, and in the United States, the trastuzumab biosimilar MYL-1401O (Ogivri; trastuzumab-dkst) was approved in December 2017. This biosimilar is approved for use in patients with HER2-positive cancers, including breast and metastatic gastric cancer. In ongoing trials, SB3 and ABP 980 have shown similar pathologic complete response rates to trastuzumab.

Kalinsky says that globally speaking, biosimilars can have a great impact. If biosimilars are approved and are offered at a lower cost than the originator biologic, then patients in countries without access to the originator biologic may be able to get treatment. The differential in cost and access is what could produce the biggest impact, Kalinsky concludes.