He explained how maintaining healthy competition among both makers of biosimilars and originator biologicals is essential to the long-term sustainability of biosimilars markets in Europe. He also believed in the importance of the contribution of biosimilars to sustainable healthcare systems in the region.

However, this sustainability is not yet assured. According to Aitken, expanding patient access to biologicals and maintaining prescriber control over treatment decisions are central to ensuring long-term improvements in patient care and outcomes.

Just one challenge for biosimilars is that advances in innovative medicines by makers of originator biologicals are bringing next-generation treatment options to providers and patients, potentially leaving a smaller volume of prior-generation use. In addition, fewer new blockbuster biologicals will become available for biosimilars competition over the next five years compared to in the last five years. This will require biosimilars makers to have a long-term perspective.

Another challenge is that large variability still exists across countries in the contribution biosimilars are making to the sustainability of hospital and non-hospital budgets, and this presents significant opportunities for improvement. 
In the following series of three articles the biosimilars share in Europe and new biosimilar opportunities, the level of biosimilars competition in different countries, and contributary factors to long-term sustainability of the biosimilars market in Europe are discussed in more detail.

Conflict of interest
The author of the presentation [1] did not provide any conflict of interest statement.

Related articles
Factors contributing to long-term sustainability of biosimilars

The level of biosimilars competition in Europe varies

Biosimilars market and opportunities in Europe

Reference
1. Aitken M. Advancing Long-term Biosimilar Sustainability in Europe: The Challenges Ahead. Medicines for Europe 17th Biosimilar Medicines Conference; 28-29 March 2019; Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

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