Originator and biosimilar market dynamics

There is growing expenditure on medicines worldwide, estimated to reach US$1.5 trillion by 2023, with implications for affordability even in high income countries. This increase is driven by biological medicines for complex diseases, including cancer and orphan diseases , which are becoming unaffordable. The costs even for the anti TNFs has resulted in their limited prescribing among a number of Central and Eastern European countries, which is difficult to sustain. Biosimilars offer a way forward to improve the care of patients with proven similar effectiveness and safety between originators and biosimilars, e.g. NOR SWITCH study in Norway.