Dr. Ramakrishnan on the Promise of Biosimilars in Hematology

Praveen Ramakrishnan, MD,an assistant professorin the Department of Internal Medicineat UT Southwestern Medical Center, discusses the promising direction of biosimilars in hematology.

At UT Southwestern Medical Center, investigators are trying to maximize the use of biosimilars based on FDA approvals, says Ramakrishnan. In terms of growth factor support, biosimilars have already been adopted in the treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies, Ramakrishnan adds. Althoughthe use of biosimilars has not yet been implemented in the transplant setting, many believe that they are here to stay because they offer cost savings with equivalent outcomes, says Ramakrishnan.

Additionally, there is aPharmacy and Therapeutics Committee for the oncology service and hematologic malignancies service. Regular meetings are held so that biosimilar products are carefully analyzed and discussed prior to any approval for use at the UT Southwestern Medical Center. During these meetings, the data with these products are examined closely, discussed and debated, concludes Ramakrishnan.