The mission of DINAVISA is to guarantee the fulfillment of the functions of stewardship, management, financing and provision of health services, with the aim to reach universal coverage, under the approach of social protection, within the framework of the National System of Health.

On 29 December 2016, the legal framework for the requirements and guidelines for the Sanitary Registry of biosimilar medicines by comparability was stablished through Chapter IV of the Decree 6611 by which Article 24 of Law N 1119/1997 is regulated, ‘On health products and others’, and the requirements for the registration of biological medicines are established.

DINAVISA defines similar biological medicine or biosimilar as a biological medicine that demonstrate similarity in terms of safety, quality, efficacy and immunogenicity to the reference biological medicine through the established comparability exercise.

To date, DINAVISA has approved two monoclonal biosimilar antibodies [1] for use in Paraguay, see Table 1. 

Two biomimics of rituximab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are also approved in Paraguay:
1. Novex (Tasiur)
2. Reditux/Tidecron

Biomimics are intended copies, unregulated biologicals, biocopies, which cannot be considered biosimilars unless they have been reviewed and approved by the appropriate regulatory agencies in accordance with the international guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the approval of biosimilars [2].

Editor's comments
European Medicines Agency regulatory requirements ensure the same high standards of quality, safety, and efficacy for biosimilars as for originator biologicals, and also include a rigorous comparability exercise with the reference product but they are not universally accepted by regulatory bodies outside of the European Union (EU). It should be noted that ‘biosimilars’ approved in Paraguay might not have been authorized if they had been subjected to the strict regulatory processes required for approval of biosimilars in the EU.

Related articles
The biosimilars market in Latin America: a summary

Similar biotherapeutic products approved and marketed in Latin America

Reference
1. Ortiz-Prado E, Ponce-Zea J, Vasconez JE, Castillo D, Checa-Jaramillo DC, Rodrí¬guez-Burneo N, Andrade F, Intriago-Baldeón DP, Galarza-Maldonado C. Current trends for biosimilars in the Latin American market. Generics Biosimilars Initiative Journal. (GaBI Journal). 2020;9(2):64-74. doi:10.5639/gabij.2020.0902.011
2. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Glosario de términos principales [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2021 Oct 15]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/es/biosimilares/general/glosario-de-terminos-principales

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