Dr. Kolberg Provides a Global Perspective on Biosimilar Integration

Hans-Christian Kolberg, MD, head, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Breast Cancer Center, and Gynecologic Cancer Center at Marienhospital Bottrop, Klinik für Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe, Bottrop, Germany, provides a global perspective on the integration of biosimilars into cancer care.

Kolberg says that many biosimilar studies are done in countries where biologics like trastuzumab (Herceptin) are too expensive for patients. Being on these studies gives patients who would otherwise not be able to undergo treatment with trastuzumab a chance to receive it.

Uptake of biosimilars has been more rapid in Europe and the UK compared with the United States. Kolberg says the centralization of healthcare in most European countries allows for an easier integration of biosimilars, as insurance companies must have comparable pricing. In the United States, there are multiple insurance companies and coverage plans that make it more difficult to determine pricing and reimbursement, which then makes it difficult to integrate something like a biosimilar, Kolberg explains.