Pan-European survey calls for a shift in policy for biosimilars

This week, the Alliance for Safe Biologic Medicines (ASBM) disclosed the results of a survey of 470 European physicians, that took place in the third quarter of 2013, across five EU countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK), regarding their prescribing habits and knowledge of biosimilar medicines.

Participants in the survey included specialists in the fields of nephrology, rheumatology, dermatology, neurology, endocrinology and oncology. The results were released at a stakeholder roundtable hosted by EuropaBio, with representatives from physicians and patient groups, as well as industry and regulatory bodies.

One of the main findings of the survey relates to European physicians’ insufficient knowledge of biosimilars. Only 22% consider themselves as very familiar with this new category of medicines. Whilst a majority (54%) have a basic understanding of biosimilars, 24% of participants cannot define or have not heard about biosimilars before.