Florida joins growing list of US states blocking some Biosimilars Bills provisions

Last Friday, the US state of Florida joined several states, most recently Indiana, in refusing to enact legislation that would create barriers between patients and newer, lower-cost versions of biologic medicines known as biosimilars. The Florida legislature voted to approve a bill on biosimilars that follows current substitution practices for prescription medicines, rejecting efforts by US biotech majors Amgen and Genentech (part of Roche) to limit future access to these therapies once they reach the market.

“In the states, nothing is over until the gavel bangs, and the Florida legislature found that the longer they considered these bills, the more they realized the need to encourage, not impede, access to these therapies. We applaud state Senator Denise Grimsley (R-77th), state Representative Matt Hudson (R-80th), and other Florida legislators who did the right thing for patients across their state: they eliminated language in this legislation that would have a chilling effect on the use of biosimilar medicines,” said Ralph Neas, president and chief executive of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA). “Florida spent more than $104 million on biologic medicines in 2011 alone for its state Medicaid program, a number that only will grow. Once the FDA provides full guidance on biosimilar approval and interchangeability, we are confident that states like Florida will benefit enormously from these lower-cost, life-saving medicines,” he added.

Excludes limitations on substitution