POLICY EVENT
The Importance of Biosimilars for Patients with Colorectal Cancer in Europe – Reflecting on European Policies Regarding Biosimilar Use in Cancer
On 28 September, Digestive Cancers Europe (DiCE) organised a virtual event on the importance of biosimilars for patients with colorectal cancer in Europe.
The event saw presentations by experts from the biosimilar expert group on biosimilar use and its current difficulties with respect to implementation across EU Member States. The experts demonstrated from various key perspectives how the use of biosimilars can contribute to increasing treatment access for colorectal cancer patients and to enhancing the sustainability of European healthcare systems overall.
Member of the European Parliament Dolors Montserrat, who is the rapporteur of the European Parliament’s report on the Pharmaceutical Strategy, participated to share the view of the Parliament on this important topic.
Central to the event was the launch of DiCE’s Call to Action: Improving the Use of Biosimilar Medicines in Colorectal Cancer through Adapting EU Policies, which was presented at the end. The call to action calls upon the individual Member States and the European Commission to improve the use of biosimilars in colorectal cancer through implementing policy change.
- To read the full event report, please click here
VIDEO
POLICY OUTREACH
Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe – report of the European Parliament
We are very thankful to the Members of the European Parliament for the attention given to biosimilars and the recognition of their potential for making healthcare systems more sustainable and affordable in the compromise amendments in the draft report on the New Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe.
We salute Members of the European Parliament who jointly agreed about the need to:
- actively evaluate measures aiming to promote the use of financial savings generated from the use of biosimilars and reinvest them in a transparent and tangible way (Amendment 7, Paragraph 7a)
- improve education on biosimilars as well as communication activities amongst healthcare professionals (Amendment 7, Paragraph 7c).
We believe that tackling these two aspects will contribute to increasing patient access to biological treatment.
Read more about the important role of biosimilars in CRC treatment.
If you would like to support the Call to Action or receive information about our policy activities, contact Giulia Barenghi, DiCE’s Policy and Public Funding Manager at giulia@digestivecancers.eu.
