The 2021 Biosimilar Medicines Virtual Summit will explore the latest developments in biosimilar medicines policies and look at future opportunities and challenges in this field. In a novel online format, each live session will be complemented by resources such as recorded interviews and presentations, infographics and reports. Registration for this summit will be free and will grant access to a website containing all the related material.

LIVE SESSION 1 – EU BAROMETER FOR RESILIENT ACCESS TO BIOLOGICS

EU Member States have deployed a diverse range of biosimilar medicines strategies that create win-win-win policies:

• payers and insurers benefit from the increased cost-efficiency of biosimilar medicines,
• patients and healthcare professionals benefit from alternative biological treatment options and,
• the sustainability of the biosimilar marketplace is ensured to guarantee that these benefits are enjoyed by stakeholders in the long-term.

In this session, panellists will discuss how they plan to achieve biosimilar market sustainability, giving examples of successful measures and actions, including their strategies to redeploy benefits from biosimilar use and enhance healthcare.

LIVE SESSION 2 – TRANSLATING EXPERIENCE INTO REGULATION

Beyond marketing authorisation processes, regulators can support earlier and broader access, as well as contribute to future access by evolving regulatory requirements. This can be achieved through

• improving efficiency in the development and registration process and
• sharing and learning from experience to date

In this session, the panel will discuss the current regulatory tools and particularly their fitness-for-purpose. The exchange will aim to assess whether further efficiency in biosimilar development (e.g. clinical streamlining) can be achieved in a coherent and timely manner as a result of international regulatory dialogue.

LIVE SESSION 3 – FROM DISRUPTION TO CARE FOR CANCER PATIENTS

The use of biosimilar oncology medicines (first line and supportive care) can actively contribute to the success of the EU Beating Cancer plan. Biosimilar medicines can be instrumental in tackling inequalities in cancer care, making biological standards of care more affordable and, more importantly, allowing the redeployment of resources, freed up by the use of biosimilar medicines, into areas of cancer care where great needs have been identified, such as prevention, diagnostics and quality of life.

The panellists will share perspectives on how best to ensure that the benefits of the use of biosimilar medicines   form an integral part of the strategy as well as discuss the areas of greatest need along the cancer care continuum for better patient care.