25 March 2019 - Much of the discussion about biosimilar uptake revolves around challenges in the United States, but other areas of the world are also working toward adopting these cost-saving products and are encountering challenges along the way. 

During the BioTech Pharma third annual Biosimilars and Biologics Summit, held March 21 to 22 in Porto, Portugal, Ned Pojskic, leader of pharmacy and health provider relations at the not-for-profit Green Shield Canada (GSC), the fourth largest private payer in Canada, discussed his organization’s efforts toward broad biosimilar adoption.

“The Canadian experience has been an incredibly dynamic one,” said Pojskic, who explained that Canada has a publicly funded healthcare system in which hospitals and physician services are covered under the national plan. However, prescription drug coverage is split between public coverage (for those over 65, in long-term care, or without income) and private, employer-based coverage (for all others).

Traditionally, Canada has had high per capita drug spending, with its costs coming in just behind Switzerland and the United States, and far outpacing European nations like Sweden and Norway. Overall spending on drugs reached CAN $40 billion (approximately US $30 billion) for 37 million people in 2018; said Pojskic, “a lot of that is driven specifically by biologics.”

Read Center for Biosimilars article