Buscador

With the imminent arrival of oncology biosimilars in the therapeutic paradigm, stakeholders including a clinician, specialist nurse, patient advocate, regulator and economist provide their perspective on optimising the uptake of these new agents in the treatment of cancer. A number of key messages emerge, based on the discussion that took place during a session of the European Society for Medical Oncology's Annual Congress, ESMO Madrid 2017. First, for successful integration of biosimilars into the global healthcare paradigm, informing and educating the full scope of stakeholders, including clinicians, nurses, pharmacists and patients, is primordial. Success is dependent on providing solid evidence and ensuring all voices are heard. Second, for oncology medicines, much can be learnt from the growing experience of approved biosimilars in other disease indications, with success stories for patients, their healthcare providers and healthcare budgets alike. Finally, effective sustainability of the impact on healthcare budgets and the redirection of these savings require education and transparency

Biosimilars will soon become broadly available in the oncology field, raising important questions from both patients and healthcare providers. These questions need to be clarified upfront, in order to increase confidence in using these therapies. In this podcast, Teresa Amaral (Young Oncologist Committee member) talks to Josep Tabernero (ESMO President and Director of the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology) in Barcelona about this timely topic-biosimilars in oncology.