Pharmacy and medicines optimisation

Transcript: Understanding your biosimilar medicine

Biologic medicines are advances treatments, that are used to support people with a number of conditions, including arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, various eye conditions and much, much more.

If you are being treated with a biologic medicine, then you may be, or have already been told, that you are being switched over to a biosimilar medicine. You might also switch from one biosimilar to another during your treatment.
So what is biosimilar?

Well, when a new biologic is first made, only one company can produce it for a set time. This helps them recover the cost of developing it, after that time ends, other companies can use the research that’s already been done, in order to produce their own version for a lower price.

The biosimilar medicines they produce, however, are carefully tested and checked, to make sure they are just as safe and effective and have been made to the same strict standards, as the original biologic medicine.

Switching people over to biosimilars whenever they become available, helps save the NHS millions of pounds a year, that can go into treating more people in a more personalised way.

You can think of moving to a biosimilar, or from one type to another, a bit like switching from, expensive branded paracetamol to another brand, while the packet might look different, both contain the same active ingredients, both are safe, and both will work just as well to treat your condition.

If you have any questions or concerns, or if you’d like to know more, speak to your healthcare team, or visit the website on screen by using the QR code.