Buying biosimilars is generally considered to be a way to increase access to cancer treatments in public health services. In Europe, the approval, commercialization and use of similar biotherapeutic products (SBPs) have been encouraged as a way to reduce costs and expand treatment coverage [1, 2]. In Brazil, an analysis of the profile of purchases of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) acquired by the Unified Health System (SUS) between 2015 and 2019 showed that this premise might not be true in Brazil [2].
Gabriela Mosegui, Cid Vianna and Thaís Catão analysed purchase data from oncology mAbs acquired by the federal government from the Integrated System of General Services Administration (SIASG). They evaluated the drugs by brand, regulatory category, year of registration, quantities purchased and weighted average price (PMP). The authors used a proxy since some biologicals are not only for cancer treatment [3].
A total of 22 mAbs (32 trade names) were authorized for commercialization in Brazil and were registered in SIASG; 20 originator drugs and 12 SBPs. This covered 88% of drugs approved in the last nine years. The Public System of Health spent approximately US$577 million on 2 million mAbs units, of which 11% were SBPs. Considering the brand and year of purchase and PMP adjusted by the Broad Consumer Price Index (IPCA), the prices of 26 biologicals and 43 presentations showed no variation around US$1,346.57.
There is a tendency to increase the amounts spent in the period analysed due to the greater quantity of products purchased. In turn, the prices of originator products, for most inputs, are lower than those of SBPs, reversing the international logic. There were no resource savings with the purchase of SBPs by the federal government.
The authors concluded that reducing these values can expand the Brazilian Government’s access to the Public Health System through public purchases carried out through transparent bidding processes, where competition is encouraged.
Conflict of interest
The authors of the research paper [3] declared that there was no conflict of interest.
Abstracted by Gabriela Bittencourt Gonzalez Mosegui, Health and Society Department, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Perceptions of the value of generics in Brazil
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References
1. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Measures to promote the use of biosimilars [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2021 Sep 24]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/biosimilars/research/measures-to-promote-the-use-of-biosimilars
2. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. The biosimilars market in Latin America: a summary [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2021 Sep 24]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/biosimilars/research/The-biosimilars-market-in-Latin-America-a-summary
3. Mosegui GBG, Vianna CMM, Catão TP. Profile of federal purchases of monoclonal oncological antibodies in Brazil: analysis from 2015 to 2019. Brazilian J Health Rev. 2021;4(3):11054-70.
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